- Nike’s latest shoe uses robotics to power people
- It is designed to help “anybody with a body” walk or run faster and further.
- Nike says it is looking to commercialize the technology
Nike has announced possibly the craziest creation to come out of its Oregon-based research labs: the world’s first “motorized shoe system.”
In partnership with robotics expert Dephy, Nike’s Project Amplify is designed to help everyday people walk or jog a little faster.
A high-end, carbon-clad running shoe is attached to a robotic leg brace, which consists of a powerful motor, drive belt, and rechargeable ankle battery that essentially takes the drudgery out of walking or jogging.
The robotic addition can be removed and the running shoe can be used, well, like an old-fashioned running shoe.
Nike says Project Amplify could do for walking or jogging what electric bikes have done for cycling, mainly by making it easier for people to go further and faster without the effort.
Instead of being aimed at elite athletes looking to set a PB (even if it is a very One questionable one: Nike is focusing on those who run at a 10- to 12-minute-per-mile pace.
The company says the shoes actually offer a “second set of calf muscles,” which helps flatten out hills and generally make a long morning commute or relaxed runs more bearable over longer distances.
There’s no firm commitment on a release date, but Nike appears to be serious about commercializing robotic runners, stating that it wants to bring the shoe system to a wide consumer release in the coming years.
Analysis: We will all be augmented one day
I have witnessed firsthand the extent to which some companies are increasing the number of workers with powered robotics.
At Hyundai’s advanced car factory in Singapore, for example, staff use robotic exoskeletons that help them work above their heads for long periods of time.
At the factory, I even tried a pair of special pants that double as a stool to relieve the weight of my feet. It sounds crazy but it really works.
We also tested Iron Man-style exoskeletons like the Hypershell ($799 / £630 / about AU$1,315) and our reviewer concluded that “despite looking silly, I’d say I enjoyed it.”
Now that a name as big as Nike is getting involved on a (potentially) commercial level, you can bet that human robotic augmentation will soon be the next big buzzword in wearables.
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