The article of footwear for grounding the human body to earth includes an upper portion; a sole having an outer sole face distal from a user and an inner sole face proximate to the user; one or more electrically conductive portions which extend through the sole from the outer sole face to the inner sole face; and an electrically conductive layer which extends over a portion of the inner sole face and being configured to make conductive contact with the foot of the human body. The sole includes a blade portion.

Systems and methods for supporting an object to be printed in an additive manufacturing process are disclosed. Support structures (202, 302, 402, 502, 602) are prefabricated and positioned in the build area of a 3D printing device prior to printing the 3D object. When the object has been printed, the support is removed and can be reused to print another object by repositioning the support structure in the building area of the additive manufacturing device.

A material that includes a polymer foam and at least one polar dopant molecule included in the polymer foam, wherein the material is a piezoelectric.

Aspects hereof relate to a multi-part mold assembly for use in manufacturing articles. The mold assembly provides for contouring, shaping and cutting materials to form articles via a continuous single processing operation. The mold assembly includes an upper mold portion with a three-dimensional contouring/shaping portion and a first cutting edge, a lower mold portion with a three-dimensional contouring/shaping portion and a second cutting edge, and a base portion into which the lower mold portion may retract during use. Upon application of a first force, the upper and lower mold portions cooperate to contour/shape a material from which an article is to be formed. Upon application of a second force greater than the first, the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge interact to shear the material that extends beyond the respective cutting edges. The result is an article that is contoured, shaped and cut/trimmed utilizing a single processing operation.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for generating orthotic device models using simulated patient anatomy. In one implementation, a method comprises receiving images of a body part of a patient; deriving physical measurements from the images; generating anatomy model data of the body part using the physical measurements; and generating orthotic model data based on the anatomy model data, the orthotic model data being representative of an orthotic device.

A sockliner for a shoe may be formed to include an integral fabric skirt. The fabric skirt may remain loose from the sockliner along at least a portion of the periphery of the sockliner. The loose periphery of the fabric skirt may be used to join the sockliner to other shoe components, as in a strobel-type seam.

Provided is an insole-type electronic device that has high communication performance and high reliability. This insole-type electronic device comprises an insole body, an extension part, a first electronic module, a second electronic module, and a wire. The insole body is a sheet-like member placed on the sole of a shoe. The extension part is a sheet-like member which is connected to the insole body and with which the instep of a foot is wrapped from above when the electronic device is worn on the foot. The first electronic module is an electronic circuit embedded in the insole body. The second electronic module is an electronic circuit that is embedded in the extension part and enables at least some of the communication functions. The wire electrically connects the first electronic module and the second electronic module.

Provided is an insole-type electronic device that has high communication performance and high reliability. This insole-type electronic device comprises an insole body, an extension part, a first electronic module, a second electronic module, and a wire. The insole body is a sheet-like member placed on the sole of a shoe. The extension part is a sheet-like member which is connected to the insole body and with which the instep of a foot is wrapped from above when the electronic device is worn on the foot. The first electronic module is an electronic circuit embedded in the insole body. The second electronic module is an electronic circuit that is embedded in the extension part and enables at least some of the communication functions. The wire electrically connects the first electronic module and the second electronic module.

Flexible pressure sensors and wearable devices incorporating one or more flexible pressure sensors, and methods of making the same. A flexible pressure sensor includes a first layer including a plurality of pressure-sensitive microstructures, and a second layer including one or more electrode pairs, each of the one or more electrode pairs including a first electrode positioned adjacent a second electrode on the second layer. The first and second electrodes may be positioned on the second layer in a side-by-side configuration.

Flexible pressure sensors and wearable devices incorporating one or more flexible pressure sensors, and methods of making the same. A flexible pressure sensor includes a first layer including a plurality of pressure-sensitive microstructures, and a second layer including one or more electrode pairs, each of the one or more electrode pairs including a first electrode positioned adjacent a second electrode on the second layer. The first and second electrodes may be positioned on the second layer in a side-by-side configuration.