It took 28 years of brainstorming and 11 years of R&D (Research and Development), so many false starts, delays and blown deadlines and so many other things. But at last, we have it: a shoe that lace itself.
Nike has invented an automatic electronic self-lacing shoe called the HyperAdapt 1.0. The shoe has a sensor, battery, motor and cable system that works seamlessly together so that when you step into the shoe, the shoe comes alive and adapts to your foot, essentially lacing itself.
The shoe is charged wirelessly and will work for about 2 weeks on a single charge.
You should check out this article on WIRED for a deep dive into the HyperAdapt 1.0.
Meanwhile, what I learn from this development is that it might take a while, but if we keep working at it and never give up, there is nothing we have ever imagined that can never become a reality.
When Bill Gates announced that he wanted to place a computer in every home, it sounded impossible. Computers used to be big and clunky and very expensive that an expert declared at that time that there was a world market for maybe 5 computers. In retrospect, we laugh and condemn the expert.
The expert was not wrong, his prediction was made based on the best knowledge available at that time.
These days, telephone access that used to be very expensive is now available for everybody. I can guess that very soon, planes will become cheaper, more affordable and the common, everyday man will be able to buy planes.
The real magic, what excites me about Nike’s HyperAdapt 1.0 is that the design was made for a sci-fi movie and 28 years later, we have it in real life.
Who now says all the cool stuff I dreamed about when I was a child cannot be built out in the real world?
