In terms of smart devices, the world was a bit short on footwear. Luckily for us, some MIT scientists created a pair of smart shoes that use vibrations to lead you to your destination.
Let’s set things straight, the destination doesn’t necessarily have to be your home, but that’s where people go to most often, so owning a pair of shoes similar to the ones of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz makes a lot of sense. Think about it! Smartphones and tablets featuring GPS sensors and software are great, but the battery life of these devices is awful, so some smart shoes with a better autonomy could literally save lives.
These vibrating smart shoes connect via Bluetooth to your smartphone. A proprietary app must be installed in order to enter the destination. After doing that, you will have to knock your heels three times and… No, I”m just kidding about that! In fact, there’s nothing you need to do after that, except for walking. The shoes vibrate when you need to turn left or right (I’m assuming that only the shoe corresponding to the direction vibrates), and you’re also going to know when you’re on the right track. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy your walk without having to check the smartphone’s screen every other second.
SuperShoes are less inconspicuous than smartphones and tablets, so if you happen to walk in the bad side of the town, people with bad intentions won’t even be able to tell that you’re wearing hi-tech footwear. There are also other reasons why tablets and smartphones equipped with GPS sensors are not safe to use while walking. For example, holding a smart device in front of you while walking could lead to you bumping into walls or other persons. If you use such a thing while crossing the street, the consequences could be even more serious than that.
The bad news is that SuperShoes are nothing but a prototype right now, and as much as we’d like to wear these vibrating smart shoes, it might take a while till the scientists who developed them will push them to mass production. Hopefully, we’ll get to see them on the shelves in the not-so-distant future, and that not at an exorbitant price.
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