Self-Leveling Footwear with Adaptive Sole Chambers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shoes lack adaptive capabilities to respond to uneven surfaces, leading to asymmetrical leg length and pelvic tilt issues during walking or running, which can cause knee and hip inflammation and back pain.
Innovation Solution
The development of athletic shoes equipped with embedded sensors and inflatable/deflatable chambers in the sole, controlled by pumps and valves, to dynamically adjust the shoe height and tilt, automatically compensating for height asymmetry between feet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional shoes with adjustable air pressure are used, then comfort settings can be adjusted, but the shoes cannot adapt to external factors such as uneven surfaces that cause health issues
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe system automatically detects height asymmetry using embedded sensors and self-corrects by inflating or deflating chambers in the sole, eliminating the need for manual adjustment by the user. The system serves itself by monitoring its own performance and making real-time corrections to maintain proper strike height.
Solution Approach 2:
Embedded sensors continuously monitor the strike height of each foot and provide feedback to a control system. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts air pressure in chambers to correct detected asymmetries, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to changing surface conditions.
2Reliability
If manual adjustment of air pressure is used, then comfort can be modified, but the adjustment is insufficient to resolve asymmetry-induced health issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects and corrects height asymmetry without requiring user intervention. The embedded sensors and automated pump system handle the entire adjustment process, making the shoe self-regulating and eliminating the need for manual operation by the wearer.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical adjustment mechanisms are replaced with an automated electronic control system that uses sensors to detect asymmetry and electronically controlled pumps to adjust air pressure, transitioning from purely mechanical user-adjustment to an automated electromechanical system.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If running or walking on cambered roads is done, then water drainage is aided, but asymmetrical leg length and pelvic tilt issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The embedded sensors detect height asymmetry caused by cambered road surfaces and provide continuous feedback to the control system. The system responds by dynamically adjusting air pressure in the sole chambers to compensate for the asymmetric surface, maintaining proper strike height despite external surface variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameters of the shoe sole by dynamically adjusting air pressure in chambers, altering the height and tilt of the shoe to compensate for asymmetric surfaces. This parameter adjustment allows the shoe to adapt to varying surface conditions while maintaining proper biomechanics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The adaptive footwear system effectively reduces asymmetrical pelvic tilt and back pain by dynamically adjusting the shoe height and tilt in real-time, providing improved comfort and reducing the risk of injury from uneven surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
the sole of the shoe may be equipped with chambers that can inflate or deflate to adjust the height of respective shoes to resolve any differences in strike height between feet
Data Source
AI summary
The inventor has realized that there is a need for adaptive footwear that can respond to variations in surfaces on which persons travel or exercise. The adaptation can extend to self-leveling functions to resolve surface asymmetry. According to some aspects, footwear, and for example, athletic shoes, can be improved to adjust the height of a person's foot based on dynamic adjustments made in the sole of the footwear. According to some aspects, differences in striking height (e.g., a distance between the user's foot and the ground) between shoes can induce asymmetry in leg length resulting in medical issues. An athletic shoe can provide self-leveling functions to automatically adjusts the shoe to even out an asymmetry that is detected by embedded sensors.