[extropy-chat] Adaptive footwear

[Eugen Leitl]

On Fri, May 07, 2004 at 03:04:30PM -0400, David Lubkin wrote:

> 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?

I presume getting useful power from flexing piezo elements in the sole is a
nontrivial piece of engineering they didn't have at hand as a module.

Ditto in-hub/in-wheel motors for hybrids/EVs. Anyone knows they're the 
way to go. Almost no one has a useful one.
 
> GPS, a voice UI, and a wired or wireless data connection (for uploading 

GPS needs to go into shoulders or headgear (good antenna placement is a
problem). Voice UI? Not enough DSP in a small enough package, microphone
needs to have noise suppression and voice strain under physical exertion is far more
difficult to read than under classical office conditions.

> data to fitness software, and for downloading firmware upgrades) would be 
> nice.

That thing needs a Bluetooth or another type of PAN to get the data out
during use. It would be a good way to collect activity profiles on elderly
people, so one can raise a ruckus in case the pattern changes suddenly.
 
> At that point, the shoe could be upgraded to provide real-time coaching for 
> a runner.

The shoe is just a smart sensor with some actuators as gimmick gadgets. 
That's an application for a fannypack device, or wearable electronics 
integrated into clothing (how many wash cycles is that good for? Not too
many).
 
> 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.

RFIDs are no good for location. GPS/inertial is the way to go, in future
active relativistic TOF triangulation.
 
> 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.

It's difficult to couple galvanically from shoe into body, though an
naturally electrolyte-soaked sock sure does help.

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a>
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