Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures that scavenge mechanical energy to provide electrical energy to a wearable, where the mechanical energy is scavenged by a bending-strain-based transducer that includes a non-resonant energy harvester. By employing a non-resonant energy harvester that operates in bending mode, more electrical energy can be generated that possible with prior-art energy harvesters. In some embodiments, the output of a bending-strain-based transducer element is used for both energy scavenging and as a sensor signal indicative of a user parameter, such as a step, respiration rate, heart rate, weight and the like. In some embodiments, a transducer element includes a plurality of piezoelectric layers that are electrically connected in parallel to increase the energy and/or power provided by the transducer element.

Presented are intelligent electronic footwear and apparel with controller-automated features, methods for making/operating such footwear and apparel, and control systems for executing automated features of such footwear and apparel. A method for operating an intelligent electronic shoe (IES) includes receiving, e.g., via a controller through a wireless communications device from a GPS satellite service, location data of a user. The controller also receives, e.g., from a backend server-class computer or other remote computing node, location data for a target object or site, such as a virtual shoe hidden at a virtual spot. The controller retrieves or predicts path plan data including a derived route for traversing from the user's location to the target's location within a geographic area. The controller then transmits command signals to a navigation alert system mounted to the IES's shoe structure to output visual, audio, and/or tactile cues that guide the user along the derived route.

A wearable article, a system, and methods include a structural material configured to enable the wearable article to the worn on a body, a piezoelectric generator, positioned with respect to the structural material in a configuration to be flexed to output a voltage, a data translator, coupled to the piezoelectric generator, configured to output electronic data based on the voltage, and an electronic data storage, coupled to the data translator, configured to store the electronic data from the data translator.

A smart terminal service system and a smart terminal processing data are disclosed. The smart terminal service system comprises smart shoes and the smart terminal. The smart shoes comprises a memory, a pressure sensor sensed by a predetermined pressure of a user, and a controller for calculating sensor velocity data on the basis of sensor data sensed by the pressure sensor and transmitting the calculated sensor velocity data to the smart terminal. And, the smart terminal comprises a communication unit for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from the smart shoes, a receiving unit for receiving GPS velocity data and sensor velocity data of the smart shoes, a memory, and a controller for controlling an execution of a smart shoes application and for calculating movement data of the smart shoes based on the received GPS velocity data and sensor velocity data which is sensed by the pressure sensor provided in the smart shoes.

An article of apparel, a system, and methods include a structural material configured to enable the article of footwear to the worn on a body. A wireless transmission circuit is included and a piezoelectric generator is positioned with respect to the structural material in a configuration to be flexed to induce a voltage signal output. A voltage sensor is configured to sense the voltage profile and output a sensor signal indicative of the voltage profile. An electronic data storage, coupled to the voltage sensor, is configured to store voltage profile information based on the sensor data. A comparator, coupled to the electronic data storage, is configured to identify a change in the voltage profile information over time. The wireless transmission circuit is configured to transmit data indicative of a physical status of the article of footwear based on the change in the voltage profile information over time.

A portion of ankle movement can be harnessed into stored energy that can be released for various purposes, such as to assist in movement or to charge a battery. This harnessing can be achieved in various manners. In one example manner, an offset pulley component can transfer ankle movement to a generator in a shoe insole. In another example manner, a slider can cause a brace arch to match an ankle arch such that the movement is appropriately harnessed.

A wearable charging device may include a shoe. The shoe may include an outsole, an insole, and a sole compartment. The sole compartment may be defined by a void between a bottom surface of the insole, a top surface of the outsole, and an inside surface of a midsole disposed perpendicular to the top surface of the outsole and extending along a perimeter of the outsole and insole. The device may further include a power source, and a wireless charging interface. The wireless charging interface may include a wireless charging transmitter coil abutted to the top surface of the outsole and may be in electrical communication with the power source. The wearable charging device may further include at least one electric generator in electrical communication with the power source. The electric generator may convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

A wearable charging device may include a shoe. The shoe may include an outsole, an insole, and a sole compartment. The sole compartment may be defined by a void between a bottom surface of the insole, a top surface of the outsole, and an inside surface of a midsole disposed perpendicular to the top surface of the outsole and extending along a perimeter of the outsole and insole. The device may further include a power source, and a wireless charging interface. The wireless charging interface may include a wireless charging transmitter coil abutted to the top surface of the outsole and may be in electrical communication with the power source. The wearable charging device may further include at least one electric generator in electrical communication with the power source. The electric generator may convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

The present invention regards a sole for shoes including an upper surface, in use facing the user, a lower surface, in use facing the ground or the resting surface, and a thickness, wherein the thickness corresponds to a distance between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein the sole includes at least one signaling means. Such at least one signaling means includes at least one vibrating motor, capable of vibrating inside such sole and/or at least one light device and the sole includes means for receiving-processing a control signal (sc) intended, in use, to receive and process such control signal (sc) and to emit in reply an activation-deactivation signal (S) towards such at least one signaling means.

A system includes one or more sensors to detect activities of a mobile object; and a processor coupled to the sensor and the wireless transceiver to classify sequences of motions into groups of similar postures each represented by a model and to apply the models to identify an activity of the object.