Sensoria, the company behind a line of artificially intelligent sportswear, is launching its first branded running sneaker with built-in sensors that can help runners make tweaks to their stride to avoid injury.
The company’s new sneakers will have three textile sensors built into the sole that can detect metrics about the way a runner’s foot makes contact with the ground. The sensors will help teach users how to become more efficient runners and avoid habits, such as heel strikes, that could lead to injury.
The hand-stitched shoes will also be equipped with a reusable Sensoria Core sensor, which powers Sensoria’s smart running socks and will soon be at the heart of a number of third-party apparel products as the company invests in a new business-to-business initiative that includes licensing out its sensors to create an ecosystem of smart apparel powered by Sensoria sensors.
About the size of a quarter and weighing less than seven grams, the core sensor slides into a dock at the back panel of the Sensoria sneakers and features an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer.
Together, the four sensors provide runners with detailed visual and auditory feedback about their biometrics, including core running metrics such as cadence and impact forces exerted by the runner, which provide insight into foot landing technique, contact time with the ground, distance, time and calories.
The information is processed in real time and communicated to the runner through the company’s artificially-intelligent coach, Mara, available via a running app and web-based dashboard.
Runners can choose to receive voice updates throughout their workouts comparing their pace with past runs on similar routes.
Sensoria running shoes communicate via Bluetooth to a running app.
“While products like Fitbit count your steps, the most important metrics in a run are your pace, cadence, foot landing and the impact that you generate each time you hit the ground,” said Sensoria cofounder and Chief Executive Officer Davide Vigano. “Whether it’s smart socks, shoes or shirts, depending on the data we collect we’re able to convert that into actionable information for the user in real time.”
The company’s next move is to begin shifting its sensors to third-party apparel brands through its recently-updated developer’s kit. Vigano says the company is actively seeking partners to create an ecosystem of products powered by Sensoria sensors and has so far received interest from clients ranging from research organizations to major apparel brands.
“The goal is to create an ecosystem of partners both on the supply chain side but also on the go-to-market side so we can have not just shoes but other accessories and footwear coming out that are powered by Sensoria,” Vigano said.
Sensoria Core is attractive to other organizations in part because it has the ability to connect with up to eight external sensors, which could measure a variety of things, including temperature, pollution, light and sweat composition, according to Vigano.
Earlier this year, the company announced its first partnership of this kind with VIVOBAREFOOT, in which Sensoria sensors will be used to power an ultra lightweight VIVOBAREFOOT-branded running shoe beginning in 2018 that can detect things such as speed and stride and communicate data via Bluetooth.
Last month, the company announced another partnership in which its sensors would be integrated within the Genesis Rehab Services network to monitor elderly patients at risk of falling via a web of sensors in smart socks and shoes.
