Berca, Talaria, 2015
The automated Talaria shoe helps the elderly by making putting on and taking off shoes as easy as with slippers but provides the support of a proper shoe.
Shoes have been the same for centuries. However, with wearable technology on the rise and the price of incorporating technology to products plummeting the future of smart shoes is open.
Putting on, wearing, and taking off shoes is trivial and easy for many people. However, it was discovered that for those living with physical challenges due to injury, disease, or age constraints, this seemingly simple task becomes difficult, possibly painful, or even impossible. In 75% of the hip fracture related falls the elderly users were using improper footwear. These findings, combined with the fact that the population is rapidly growing older in western countries, resulted in the elderly being the target group for the team.
The resulting shoes, dubbed Talaria, solve there problems by introducing unobtrusive technology to the everyday shoe. It’s better to show than tell, so here we go!