•Publication Date：09/18/2013
•Source： Taiwan Today
Smart athletic footwear jointly developed by Taipei City-based National Taiwan Normal University and Nike Inc. is helping American consumers reduce the risk of sporting injuries, according to NTNU Sept. 17.
The footwear was produced under a US$300,000 industry-academia cooperation program funded by Nike. Commencing in 2006, NTNU researchers toiled for three years before delivering their first design incorporating innovative onboard kinetic technology.
Shiang Tzyy-yuang, a professor with NTNU Department of Athletic Performance and head of the research team, said the shoes are now on sale in the U.S. “Each pair is worth US$150, twice the price of regular sporting footwear.”
According to Shiang, the sole of each shoe contains an accelerometer and a third-generation gyroscope. The former detects the strength of movement and change of speed, while the latter determines the angle of the feet when running.
“Two high-tech sensors allow data on feet movement to be monitored and transmitted via Bluetooth to tablets or smartphones, with a warning issued if fatigue-induced variation is detected,” he said, adding that weary feet tend to exhibit a larger range of movement.
The first-generation gyroscope transmits data through a cable, while the second-generation version is wireless, the professor added.
Shiang said increasingly heavy work commitments are cutting into weekday exercise times, meaning that more people are using the weekends to catch up on lost sessions.
“Many exercise like crazy over the weekend and skimp on warm-ups. We hope the footwear will help people avoid sporting injuries and let them know when they have completed sufficient physical activity.”
In addition, a study by Shiang and his team on the 3G gyroscope measuring kinematic changes of the foot during intense running using a gyro sensor was recently accepted by world-renown Journal of Sport Sciences.
