With increasingly large screens, smartphones are brilliant for navigation in cars, but big shouty displays are also a whacking great neon sign for muggers when you’re out and about in town. So how about a pair of shoes that can talk to your phone, relaying directions to your feet silently by tickling your toes? Sounds ideal, right?
Thanks to a chap called Dhairya Dand, such a magical invention exists, and better yet the tech is even transferable straight into a regular pair of trainers or shoes. It’s far from the first time we’ve seen wearable tech this year – with smartwatches like the Samsung Gear 2 Neocurrently all the rage – but it’s the first time we’ve seen anything that goes in your shoe!
The insoles are made out of flexible silicone, and boast a couple of different chips onboard. There’s a microcontroller to keep tabs on what’s going on, a capacitive pad to monitor your walk, three vibrating “vibrotactile ticklers” and a Bluetooth chip for communication with your smartphone.
When you want to set off on a journey, enter your destination on the smartphone app, and SuperShoes will tickle your right or left foot depending on the direction you need to turn, or tickling both when you’ve arrived at your destination.
You can also take advantage of SuperShoes when you’re in an unfamiliar city, entering your interests and hobbies on online
site ShoeCentral, so SuperShoes can tickle your feet when they have new suggestions for you to try out.
site ShoeCentral, so SuperShoes can tickle your feet when they have new suggestions for you to try out.
It’s not just about staying safe from muggers either; you’ll no longer need to getyour phone
out when it’s raining, there’s no longer any need to try and stop your phone from shouting out “TURN AROUND WHEN POSSIBLE”, and nobody need know you’re actually completely lost and taking directions from your tatty old trainers! If you’re extremely ticklish, you may look a bit strange giggling away as you walk, though…
out when it’s raining, there’s no longer any need to try and stop your phone from shouting out “TURN AROUND WHEN POSSIBLE”, and nobody need know you’re actually completely lost and taking directions from your tatty old trainers! If you’re extremely ticklish, you may look a bit strange giggling away as you walk, though…
The shoes can even help you plot routes depending on how much free time you have. Dandexplains: “The shoes have access to your calendar and know if you have a free slot in the day, they plan a short route for you that starts and ends at your current location. So you can go out and take a break – walk without worrying where you are going – while being assured that you’d reach back at your origin in time.”
in the day, they plan a short route for you that starts and ends at your current location. So you can go out and take a break – walk without worrying where you are going – while being assured that you’d reach back at your origin in time.”
There’s currently no word on pricing or availability of the SuperShoes, but check out Dand’s video to find out more:
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