Running is universal and the rawest form of transportation. It is simple. All it takes is to put on a pair of shoes. Through research and interviews, we learned about running as a social activity and it's ability to cultivate motivation and camaraderie. WE RUN is a connected shoe that harnesses the power of technology to facilitate this social aspect of running and changes the experience by giving life to the very single equipment that runners need. The shoe connects to the user's running group to facilitate runs and motivate members. It also displays the runner's activity level and heart rate to create a unique, interactive visual experience.
Critical Making, UC Berkeley Graduate Course
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Product Gallery
The Process
Design Research
We spoke with runners who have had experience with marathons, run clubs, and other fitness activities in order to understand our users better. One of the ideas that came from that was the idea to help make running a more social experience. Some of the most interesting things we learned came from the emotional aspect of it, which led to increases in motivation:
“I introduced a couple friends to Nike Run Club and they became obsessed.” - Diego Rivas
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“I could have never done it without my team. They motivate me to get out of the bed every morning to go run.” - Radhika Kulkarni
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“The energy you get when you’re running with a group like that is amazing.” - Arian Nowrozi
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“I don’t think I would have kept going if it weren’t for the group classes… going there, talking to people, and knowing that we’re in it together made all the difference to me.” - Marc Martin Casas
“There is actually some psychological benefits to running with a group. Social Facilitation is a social psychology term that means “an improvement in performance produced by the mere presence of others.” Your brain encourages you to keep up when you might have slowed down alone. I have found this to be true more time than I can count. Running with other people creates an excitement that helps you run faster than you thought you could on your own.”
(https://minneapolisrunning.com/5-reasons-you-should-run-with-a-group/)
Brainstorming
Having chosen the idea of interactive running shoes, we discussed options for different ways to do so. We thought about sensors including accelerometers to display speed, pressure sensors to measure the number of steps and distance, a gps to track speed and distance, or a heartbeat sensor to display the heartbeat of a person. We really liked the idea of a heartbeat for the following reasons.
HEARTBEAT
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Signifies the life of a person
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Represents life and energy
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Unique to each individual
We therefore decided to use our own heartbeat module. Upon researching more about the placement of the sensor, we decided to make our own wrist wearable which encased the heartbeat module. This would help us get accurate data without much noise and also very easily accessible for the user to work with. Going off a previous idea of light-up shoes, we spun off that idea and wanted to use lights as a visual representation of data. Seeing something visually is often more compelling than seeing it as just numbers. Heartbeat is data that is usually only showed in numbers, so we wanted to toy with the idea of having a physical representation of it. So our product became a set of two shoes with LED displays and a wrist wearable.
Prototyping
The product consists of two components: the light (including housing) in the shoe and the wrist wearable consisting of a heart rate sensor and push button.
Sketching and Rendering
We aimed to design a simple, robust, and ergonomic LED enclosure to that would seamlessly integrate into the shoe. The base has protrusions and such that the 12-ring Neopixel and Jewel-7 fit tightly to prevent movement post assembly. The holes allows for wiring to be directed through the back of the enclosure. The cover has a slim profile and rounded form factor that, when assembled, avoids an “add-on” feel. The cover was 3D-printed with clear PLA material, which produces a geometry that nicely diffuses the light from the neopixels. The cover and base mate through a snap-fit design: 2 protrusions with flexible arms on the cover snap into openings in the base.
We chose the wrist because it was the most convenient and easiest place to place the pulse sensor, and it’s easily accessible by the wearer. If the heart sensor was placed by the foot, there would be too much noise from the impact of the foot hitting the ground, and equipment would have to be able to withstand consistent shock.
The wearable needs to house the pulse sensor and push button. The pulse sensor fits snugly, face-down in the base. The infrared light and sensor are exposed through the hole at the base, allowing access to blood vessels in the wrist for measurement. The top is press-fit into the base.
Light Housing
Wearable
Prototyping Iterations
Each prototype included improvements to fit, form-factor, and light diffusion. The biggest challenge involved detailing and tolerancing with 3D printing techniques in order to achieve accurate snap-fitting and light diffusion.
LED Programming
Modes
Home Mode:
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This displays the general daily activity level of the user.
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It looks like a battery that is filled with respect to how active the user has been today.
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Acts as a prompt to get up and get going.
Active Mode (Pulse Mode):
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When the user is up and about, this converts the user’s heart rate (BPM) to a pulsing red light.
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Fine tuning the fade in and out of these lights was essential on making this as realistic as possible.
Features:
Notification
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When a group member switched to the active mode, other group members would be sent a notification about it
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A blue spiraling light signals the notification, alerting the user to go out and join their friends for a run
Group target achieved
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When a personal activity goal or a group activity goal is reached, the Neopixels will display spiraling, cycling lights.
The Final Design
Video