It's been 26 years since we saw laces magically tightening Marty McFly's Nike shoes in Back to the Future.
It
's
been
26
years
since
we
saw
laces
magically
tightening
Marty
McFly
's
Nike
shoes
in
Back
to
the
Future
.
Now self-tying shoelaces could actually become a reality this year, proving right one of the film's fantastical predictions for what 2015 would be like.
Now
self-tying
shoelaces
could
actually
become
a
reality
this
year
,
proving
right
one
of
the
film
's
fantastical
predictions
for
what
2015
would
be
like
.
Engineers have designed a shoe that can automatically lace up, adjusting itself to the shape of your foot.
Engineers
have
designed
a
shoe
that
can
automatically
lace
up
,
adjusting
itself
to
the
shape
of
your
foot
.
Simply put on the trainer and pressure sensors will tell the "smart shoe" when your foot is in position, working on a tiny motor in the heel that pulls the laces tight.
Simply
put
on
the
trainer
and
pressure
sensors
will
tell
the
``
smart
shoe
''
when
your
foot
is
in
position
,
working
on
a
tiny
motor
in
the
heel
that
pulls
the
laces
tight
.
When you want to take off the shoes, you knock your heels together twice and the spring in the shoe's tongue will loosen the laces enough for you to take them off.
When
you
want
to
take
off
the
shoes
,
you
knock
your
heels
together
twice
and
the
spring
in
the
shoe
's
tongue
will
loosen
the
laces
enough
for
you
to
take
them
off
.
The design, which is still in its early stage, cleverly gets the energy of the foot's swing when opposing magnets in each shoe move past each other.
The
design
,
which
is
still
in
its
early
stage
,
cleverly
gets
the
energy
of
the
foot
's
swing
when
opposing
magnets
in
each
shoe
move
past
each
other
.
It then uses that power to charge a battery.
It
then
uses
that
power
to
charge
a
battery
.
An hour of walking is enough to tighten the laces once, and it requires no energy to undo the shoes because that relies on the spring alone.
An
hour
of
walking
is
enough
to
tighten
the
laces
once
,
and
it
requires
no
energy
to
undo
the
shoes
because
that
relies
on
the
spring
alone
.
Engineer Klevis Ylli, of the Institute for Micromachining and Information Technology in southern Germany, said the shoes could help a variety of different people.
Engineer
Klevis
Ylli
,
of
the
Institute
for
Micromachining
and
Information
Technology
in
southern
Germany
,
said
the
shoes
could
help
a
variety
of
different
people
.
"It could be used in shoes for elderly people who have mobility problems," he said, "And it could also work for children, or as a lifestyle product."
``
It
could
be
used
in
shoes
for
elderly
people
who
have
mobility
problems
,
''
he
said
,
``
And
it
could
also
work
for
children
,
or
as
a
lifestyle
product
.
''
Mr. Ylli and a team from the University of Freiburg, who describe their design in the journal Smart Materials and Structures today, are also developing a small device that could be put in shoes to make them act as a navigation system to track the wearer's movements.
Mr.
Ylli
and
a
team
from
the
University
of
Freiburg
,
who
describe
their
design
in
the
journal
Smart
Materials
and
Structures
today
,
are
also
developing
a
small
device
that
could
be
put
in
shoes
to
make
them
act
as
a
navigation
system
to
track
the
wearer
's
movements
.
The designers hope it could be used to help emergency services navigate around unfamiliar buildings.
The
designers
hope
it
could
be
used
to
help
emergency
services
navigate
around
unfamiliar
buildings
.
It's been 26 years since we saw laces magically tightening Marty McFly's Nike shoes in Back to the Future.  Now self-tying shoelaces could actually become a reality this year, proving right one of the film's fantastical predictions for what 2015 would be like.  Engineers have designed a shoe that can automatically lace up, adjusting itself to the shape of your foot.  Simply put on the trainer and pressure sensors will tell the "smart shoe" when your foot is in position, working on a tiny motor in the heel that pulls the laces tight. When you want to take off the shoes, you knock your heels together twice and the spring in the shoe's tongue will loosen the laces enough for you to take them off. The design, which is still in its early stage, cleverly gets the energy of the foot's swing when opposing magnets in each shoe move past each other. It then uses that power to charge a battery. An hour of walking is enough to tighten the laces once, and it requires no energy to undo the shoes because that relies on the spring alone. Engineer Klevis Ylli, of the Institute for Micromachining and Information Technology in southern Germany, said the shoes could help a variety of different people. "It could be used in shoes for elderly people who have mobility problems," he said, "And it could also work for children, or as a lifestyle product."  Mr. Ylli and a team from the University of Freiburg, who describe their design in the journal Smart Materials and Structures today, are also developing a small device that could be put in shoes to make them act as a navigation system to track the wearer's movements. The designers hope it could be used to help emergency services navigate around unfamiliar buildings.