(48) SmartStep

Top view of SmartStep. The bottom has a hot glue layer and the spring sensors.

SmartStep

Team Name: TheMemeTeam

Table: 48

Problem: Wearables, pedometers, and smartphones that count steps are often inaccurate because they do not directly count each footstep. Thus, consumers see an incorrect number of steps, skewing their perceived amount of fitness. Moreover, wearables, like Fitbits, and pedometers are often inconvenient because a person has to remember to put them on before walking or running.

Function: SmartSteps are smart shoe insoles that counts each step that a person takes. Because every person has to put on shoes, which would have SmartSteps already in them, before going out and walking or running, SmartSteps is more convenient than competitors. In addition, because the spring sensors in the insoles count each step a person takes, Smartsteps would also be more accurate than competitors.

Impact: As a result, with a more accurate step count and less hassle to count steps, SmartSteps would help people plan better fitness plans, thus improving their workouts and health.

How Does it Work? We created the insole design in CAD, cut the mold out with a laser cutter, and then filled the mold with hot glue to make the bottom of the insole. Then, we cut out a piece of cork to make up the top half of the insole to make SmartSteps look better. Both pieces combined still allows Smartsteps to be flexible. Then, we used 3 spring sensors on the bottom on the insole, an Arduino trinket, and HC-05 Bluetooth module, did a lot of wiring and soldering, wrote code in Matlab, and combined everything together to make SmartSteps work.

Future: SmartSteps have a lot of potential for growth. In the future, we would use strain gauges to make SmartStep even more accurate and to add additional functionality for users. Because we did not have strain gauges today and force sensitive resistors are often inaccurate and difficult to calibrate, we used spring sensors. For example, with strain gauges, consumers could also track their weight throughout the day, velocity, and more with additional data manipulation. In addition, with more time, we would create a smartphone application and improve our product design.