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Title: Nike pitches robotic sneakers and mind-altering mules

Link: https://www.engadget.com/wearables/nike-pitch...

Nike is no stranger to a unique footwear concept, be it self-lacing shoes or
a "Hyperboot" that can speed up recovery. The company claims its Project
Amplify and new "neuroscience-based" footwear take things a bit further,
though, by actively augmenting your body and mind while you're wearing them.

Developed with robotics startup Dephy, Project Amplify acts as "a second set
of calf muscles" for "everyday athletes" who want to walk or run more. Nike
says the first-generation model consists of a running shoe with a carbon
fiber plate, a calf-mounted rechargeable battery, a motor and a drive belt.
While it has the neon colors and cushioned finish of a normal pair of running
shoes, the basic design of Project Amplify seems like a more polished version
of the robotic Sidekick shoes Dephy is already pitching on its website.

Project Amplify doesn't replace your legs' ability to walk or run, but rather
makes going further and faster easier. Nike compares the experience to an e-
bike, which typically don't eliminate the need for pedaling, and instead
augment your pedals with power from an electric motor. Nike says Project
Amplify "makes walking or running uphill feel like moving on flat ground,"
and in the case of some people who tested it, turned a 12-minute mile into a
10-minute mile. Dephy and the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) worked with more
than 400 different athletes to test various versions of robotic shoes,
covering "over 2.4 million steps, the equivalent of roughly 12,000 laps
around the NSRLΓÇÖs 200-meter track."

The companies' approach, melding an existing fashion brand with robotics, is
similar to Arc'teryx's MO/GO pants from 2024, robotic trousers developed in
partnership with Skip that help hikers with balance and endurance. Project
Amplify is smaller (and hopefully less expensive), but robot-assisted gadgets
increasingly seem like a way robotics research could make its way into
consumer products, beyond things like vacuums.

The Nike Mind 001 mules and Nike Mind 002 sneakers on a white background.Nike

Nike's Mind 001 and Mind 002 shoes are based on the company's neuroscience
research, and are strange in a different way. Created by the Nike Mind
Science Department, the foam nodes in both shoes ΓÇö a pair of mules and
sneakers, respectively ΓÇö imparts the texture of the ground underneath the
wearer's feet. This process "heightens sensory awareness, which can help
clear away distractions and enhance concentration," Nike says.

The Nike Mind 001 and Mind 002 will go on sale in January 2026 as the first
shoes in the Nike Mind line. Nike says Project Amplify, meanwhile, will
receive "a broad consumer launch in the coming years."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/wearables/nike-pitch...
altering-mules-212716340.html?src=rss

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