[extropy-chat] Adaptive footwear

[David Lubkin]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/06/technology/circuits/06shoe.html?pagewanted=all&position=
The Bionic Running Shoe

Adidas has a robotic shoe. With sensors, microprocessor, and actuators, it 
adapts the shoe to its user and usage.

According to the article, the shoe is battery-powered. Why isn't it powered 
by the user's motion, the way MIT's shoe computer was?

GPS, a voice UI, and a wired or wireless data connection (for uploading 
data to fitness software, and for downloading firmware upgrades) would be nice.

At that point, the shoe could be upgraded to provide real-time coaching for 
a runner.

For activities involving a coach, such as a professional ball team, apparel 
informatics could quantify player performance under game conditions, either 
for real-time decision-making or post-game analysis. Obviously, any 
wireless traffic would have to be encrypted.

RFID could resolve questions of precise timing and location in 
umpire/referee/judge calls.

Where the user also has a wearable display, the data analysis could travel 
from foot to eye through the wireless transmission or use MIT's work on 
leveraging the human body as a computer network.


-- David Lubkin.