In the midst of miCoach and Fuel Band innovation, Google took a step into the sneaker technology realm this SXSW by unveiling a pair of talking shoes. Using an adidas Originals AR 3.0 as the base, the talking sneaker is the brainchild of Google?s ?Art, Copy & Code? program, designed to promote connectivity of everyday objects with the web.
The talking sneaker plays host to a computer, speaker, accelerometer, pressure sensor, gyroscope and Bluetooth. Like other interactive fitness products, the idea is that the shoe motivates the wearer to be more active, yelling encouraging words during periods of inactivity. Much like the Maps service, the yelling voices could get creative.
?If you put what the shoe knows through an algorithmic logic engine, it can translate it into copy,? said Aman Govil, lead of the advertising arts team. ?Now if you give that copy to an interesting copy writer, you could give the shoe personality. One shoe could be the trash-talking shoe.?
Motivation tactics aside, the shoes could also connect to a social media stream via your favorite athlete. Don?t expect Google-branded sneakers to pop up on the shelves at your local boutique anytime soon, but this innovation will surely not go unnoticed or unused by some of your favorite shoe brands in the future.
Source: ABC News
