Nike has collaborated with the robotics company Dephy to create footwear that could revolutionize the world of sports. This is the first powered footwear system designed to help people move faster in an easier way. It is compared to the operation of an electric bicycle: it combines a normal running shoe with a carbon plate, a motorized ankle or cuff, and a drive belt, which provide natural assistance with every step.
According to Michael Donaghu, Nike’s Vice President of Emerging Sports and Innovation, it is presented as a way to help athletes move faster and farther with less energy. The device has been tested at the Nike Sport Research Lab with a sample of 400 athletes, who reported that the device helped them reduce their time by two minutes when running a mile. According to Nike, the target audience for this device is not professional athletes, but runners, walkers, or sports enthusiasts.
Nike
Nike, one of the leading companies in the design, development, and marketing of sports equipment, was founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman and adopted the name Nike in 1971. The name comes from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. Among its sports equipment catalog, it offers footwear, clothing, and accessories.
The company has sought to take a step further (literally), incorporating technology and innovation into one of its latest designs. To achieve this, it has collaborated for years with the robotics company Dephy, with which it has worked on a device that combines advanced robotics, design, and exercise, aiming to revolutionize the market. The project is called Project Amplify and consists of a motorized footwear system designed to help people move easier, faster, and go further.
Project Amplify
The Project mechanism can be compared to that of an electric bike but applied to the world of running. This motorized system combines a regular running shoe with a carbon plate, a motorized ankle or sleeve, and a drive belt. This combination adds a gentle push to the stride, providing external assistance to the muscle. The motor and sleeve are connected to fit comfortably around the calf. In turn, the sleeve connects to a carbon plate that is inside the shoes, thus facilitating this assistance.
According to Michael Donaghu, Nike’s Vice President of Emerging Sports and Innovation statements, “What if we could help athletes move faster and farther with less energy and a lot more fun?”. That’s how the idea was born to unite Nike and Dephy to bring together, in a single system, robotics, biomechanics, and movement algorithms to create a powered shoe that feels completely natural to use.
Product testing
After a year of development, the system was tested at the Nike Sport Research Lab with a sample of 400 athletes. In total, they completed more than 2.4 million steps across all trials. The results were significantly positive, with some participants even reducing the time needed to run a mile from 12 minutes to 10 minutes. They also reported that using Project Amplify feels like running on flat ground even when actually running uphill.
Target audience
According to Nike, this product is not aimed at professional athletes. Instead, it is designed to facilitate movement for runners, recreational athletes, everyday users, and even people who travel on foot, helping them go farther, faster, and with less effort.