PROJECT: SHOE HACK
Challenge: As part of Design for Contemporary Products, we had an assignment to create a smart shoe to solve a need in the business world.
Common Running Shoe Wear Patterns
Process: As a runner, my thoughts quickly turned to some of the pain points I faced with my own shoes. Running shoes need to be replaced when they are significantly worn in order to avoid serious injuries. Based on user research, runners currently decide when their shoe is worn out by either making a judgment call on the amount of wear on the sole, by tracking the amount of miles they have run, or by waiting to feel some minor joint pain. Neither of these solutions are sufficient: subjective measures may cause you to replace shoes prematurely, mileage can very from person to person, and any pain should ideally be avoided.
Results: My partner and I created a smart running shoe that would signal when it was worn out and needed to be replaced via LED indicators. Using Lilypad Arduino, we sewed circuits via conductive thread into different layers of the sole that would break when a certain level of wear was reached