Xunjie Zhang is the founder and CEO of Shift Robotics and the inventor of Moonwalkers, the world’s fastest AI-powered robotic shoes designed to triple walking speed. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute and former Rolls-Royce engineer, Zhang was inspired to create Moonwalkers after a near-accident while commuting on a scooter made him question why walking—a safe and healthy alternative—was so inefficient. Teaming up with race-car engineers and roboticists, he developed the first prototype while at CMU, leading to the 2022 launch of Moonwalkers, which gained viral success on Kickstarter and was later named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023. Under his leadership, Shift Robotics has continued to innovate with lighter, smarter versions like Moonwalkers X and Moonwalkers Aero, aimed at both consumers and commercial applications, redefining how we move on foot.