GPS shoes to launch
US technology firm Innovalley is planning to commercialise footwear that wirelessly interacts with a smartphone to direct the wearer.
The company is speaking with footwear manufacturers and brand owners about applications for the technology.
José Luis Agell, CEO of Innovalley, said: “We’re speaking to companies with different profiles in the footwear market. Some are high-end brands, some are sportswear brands.”
The shoes, called GPShoes, consist of sensors integrated into the soles, which can communicate with the wearer’s smartphone. An app can be used to manage navigation instructions, or detect interesting or useful locations via GPS. The shoes can then provide vibratory feedback to instruct the wearer when to turn left or right, or alert them to a nearby location of interest.
The technology could be used for navigation around new cities for tourists, for cyclists, delivery people or other professional uses.
Mr Agell said: “We’ve thought about motorcyclists, skiers, walkers – anyone that would find this information valuable, where accessing a smartphone without needing to take it out of your pocket would be useful.”
The technology was presented at the Smart Fabrics conference on 23-24 February in London, UK.
Innovalley is planning to enter the market with a product based on GPShoes technology by 2012. The company is partnered with Cetemmsa in Spain. Cetemmsa has previously worked on a number of wearable electronics concepts, such as smart textiles sportswear for athletes. The company was also involved in the EU-funded Dephotex project, which ends on October 2011.
