Running has more or less been a solitary affair, where you basically compete against yourself, although doing so in a community or with a bunch of friends can more often than not make the entire experience all the more fun. After all, we are social creatures, so this is to be expected. The concept of Run is an interesting one, where it will allow runners to compete with anyone anywhere, regardless of their existing physical location.
The Run concept is based on an innovative smart textile that is made up of a soft, flexible fabric which is capable of changing color. Featuring a functioning interface which has been seamlessly integrated with the aesthetics of the footwear itself, runners will be able to race regardless of where they are, while keep track of their speed with these running shoes simultaneously. The smart shoe would be part of the system, in addition to a website, a smartphone application and a compliant infrastructure which will eventually accommodate numerous niche markets within the sports and gaming industries.
Integrated into the prototype would be a thin electroluminescent (EL) wire that is made of copper and coated in a phosphor, where it will then be able to glow should an alternating current be applied to it. This means the upper segment of the shoe can replicate the visual experience of the color-shifting fabric, where green would point to the lead runner, while orange means middle-of-the-road, and red, well, no one wants red since that indicates being last.
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