Forums >Gears and Wears>High-Tech Crazes....Product Feedback
Hello!
I'm part of a group of college kids developing a product to track your performance data using each step you take during a run. Basically, it is a technology that would slip into your shoe, and measure your gait, weight distribution and other general information and send it to your smart-device for review live or later. We think that this is something that could really help folks train better, and maybe reduce risk of injury if they know exactly what their feet are doing.
Right now we're searching for some feedback. You could reply here or check out our page at: http://unbouncepages.com/treadware2 or even check us out on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Piez-Smart-Shoes-for-Smart-Athletes/174605112691682?fref=ts
We appreciate any feedback so we can deliver a finished product on the market that best suits your needs. Happy Running!
Not dead. Yet.
Looks cool! I'm a data geek so would love to have different sets to analyze. These are not designed to be worn every day, are they? I worry that they would break quickly under daily pounding. Also, I wonder if the inserts would interfere with my shoe's support. Can people who already wear inserts add these on as well, or is this supposed to replace the one they already have? That leads to my next question...are you planning to design these for different kind of feet (arches, pronation, etc) or does one size fit all?
Finally, what are the running problems this can help us diagnose?
Sorry to throw so many questions at you, but it looks neat and I'm curious. Thanks for sharing!
How can we know our limits if we don't test them?
These would primarily be designed to be worn during training (so not for daily, trivial use) and the insert would be like a thin film - almost a Mylar, that would have the sensor embedded in it. This film would simply take the shape of the existing shoe insert - we realized pretty quickly that trying to make shoe inserts that not only took readings, but made people's feet happy, wouldn't be within the scope of our capabilities (I have high arches and when I run I completely understand the need for good shoe inserts).
The sensors would likely be a matrix of dynamic strain gauges or pressure sensors which are designed with high impact and intense use in mind.
The data that would be delivered would be a 'heat' map of the foot which would show where on the foot the most pressure lie. For different sports that means different things - maybe you're edging too much on a run (or in skiing you aren't placing enough pressure on your toes). Eventually we would want the app to give some qualitative feedback based upon the heat maps collected, or a feature that allows you to compare with others (perhaps well known runners and other athletes, as a standard). We're trying to figure out which interface would be most helpful for people.