Shoes are built to diffuse a lot of energy to protect the ankle and knee. Rather than waste it, I bet you could harness that energy to charge a battery or two.
If the motor enhances performance, wouldn't this count as a mini-exoskeleton? Very cool...
We don’t usually cover shoe tech here on SmartPlanet, but if there’s one thing that we’ve learned, it’s that innovation comes in many forms.
American athletic apparel giant Nike has filed a patent for what appears to be a self-lacing shoe.
Officially referred to as an “automatic lacing system,” the innovation seems destined for the company’s iconic, tech-filled Air Jordan line of basketball sneakers.
The patent reads as follows:
The automatic lacing system provides a set of straps that can be automatically opened and closed to switch between a loosened and tightened position of the upper. The article further includes an automatic ankle cinching system that is configured to automatically adjust an ankle portion of the upper.
That’s right: push a button and the shoe laces tighten around your feet.
Here’s more info from the official filing:
In one aspect, the invention provides an automatic lacing system for an article of footwear, comprising: a sole including a cavity; a motor disposed in the cavity; the motor including a driveshaft; the driveshaft including at least one gear; at least one belt engaged with the at least one gear at an intermediate portion of the belt; a yoke member connected to the at least one belt at an attachment portion of the at least one belt; a plurality of straps attached to the yoke member, the plurality of straps being configured to adjust an upper of the article of footwear; and where the straps can be automatically moved between a closed position and a loosened position by activating the motor.
Pretty neat stuff, although my initial question for such an invention is how the company will balance form and features — that is, a technical shoe must be lightweight, too.
Wondering where all that power comes from, by the way? You guessed right: an on-board battery, which will be charged by either a USB or mini-USB port.
Dunking a basketball may never be the same again.
