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A Running Shoe For Agent 86?

Posted by simoniker on from the who-throws-a-shoe? dept.

manganese4 writes "The New York Times (free reg. req.) is reporting on a new shoe from Adidas that contains a ~10KHz chip capable of changing the shoe's characteristics to meet the runner's need. From the article: 'Adidas executives say the shoe is no gadget-dependent gimmick... Each second, a sensor in the heel can take up to 20,000 readings and the embedded electronic brain can make 10,000 calculations, directing a tiny electric motor to change the shoe. The goal is to make the shoe adjust to changing conditions and the runner's particular style while in use. The shoes will have push-button controls, light-emitting diodes to display settings and an instruction manual on a CD-ROM that will advise wearers on, among other things, how to change the battery after every 100 hours of use.' I wonder if the CPU can be overclocked?"

6 of 356 comments (clear)

  1. what a gimmick by kaltkalt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Please. I mean, this is like saying the Reebok Pump was "analog technology capable of generating an infinite number of support positions." GIMMICK. Nothing more. But get a famous basketball player to endorse it, charge $200 for it, and it'll fly off the shelves.

    --

    Stupid people make stupid things profitable.
  2. Sport Legal? by Intocabile · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've only ever seen passive electronics in sports equipment; this shoe won't be legal in most professional sports.

  3. It's just another imbedded system by Trespass · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Make it solid state and durable. You should have no problems with something that amounts to little more than a processor, battery, some flash memory and some sensors.

    There are far more stressful environments for computers in military and industrial settings.

    1. Re:It's just another imbedded system by AlaskanUnderachiever · · Score: 5, Insightful
      They make solid state dc motors these days? Where was I?

      --
      Find out about my new childrens book: SS Death Camp Criminal Batallion Go To Monte Carlo For The Massacre
  4. Re:A battery on a running shoe. Think about this.. by Krashed · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I totally agree with this. Think of the ways they could have produced power from this. piezo-electric with the vibrations and stomping on the ground (which would probably absorb some of the shock anyway), stirling (or whatever creates changes energy between the heat difference) due to the foot getting hot (which may cool it down some), the swatch thing (a swinging weight with attached magnet to charge a capacitor).
    You know what really would have been badass. If they added bluetooth capability between it and a pda so you can track your workouts wirelessly. Then create a bluetooth heart rate monitor with a watch that would intergrate the entire system. You could modify your step and check your heart rate at the same time. I should start working on the patent...

  5. So now you have to RTFM to get some exercise by Masa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "an instruction manual on a CD-ROM that will advise wearers on, among other things, how to change the battery"

    So, does these shoes have a CD-ROM-drive built-in or how one is going to use the manual on the road? Because, it would suck quite royally ass if the BSOD strikes while running at the woods and you have to try to figure out, how to reboot your shoes. And what if the batteries run out? The only thing you can do with the manual is to wave it and hope someone equipped with pair of AAA-batteries (or whatever the shoes are using) and a laptop would see you (a laptop is required because the manual contains the instructions, how to change batteries).

    These shoes will bring us to a totally new level of complexity of having some exercise.