Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Project Amplify: Powered footwear for running and walking

about.nike.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 129 posts

Re: Project Amplify: Powered footwear for running and walking

#31

Post by echelon »

ewuhic wrote: post #25

These are already common in China, and Nike will rip you off with the price for "western engineering".

> These are already common in China

Link?

> and Nike will rip you off with the price for "western engineering".

It's the brand more than anything. Nike's brand commands a premium.

I've quite literally never seen a product like this on the market, so as far as I'm concerned if Nike is the first to Western market with the product, and they do a good job introducing it, it's their innovation.

It's like with Nintendo and Apple. They're quite frequently not the first to develop a technology, but they take things and popularize them. Digital cameras, motion control, touch screens, smartphones, tablet gaming devices, ...

Re: Project Amplify: Powered footwear for running and walking

#32

Post by 5- »

knowitnone3 wrote: post #21

"designed to help everyday athletes* go a little bit faster and farther" When is the last time an athlete said I'm looking to go a little faster and farther with the aid of a powered device? Their target market is all wrong. This would be great if aimed towards low mobility users.

> an athlete said I'm looking to go a little faster and farther with the aid of a powered device

isn't that a time-honoured tradition at tour de france?

Re: Project Amplify: Powered footwear for running and walking

#33

Post by FooBarBizBazz »

Pales in comparison to Soviet science ;-):

> the power comes from pistons that are filled with a fuel-air mixture, and fired by compression when the user puts his or her full body weight down into the boot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_boots

https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/these-gas-powered-bo...

Re: Project Amplify: Powered footwear for running and walking

#34

Post by CaptainOfCoit »

FooBarBizBazz wrote: post #33

Pales in comparison to Soviet science ;-): > the power comes from pistons that are filled with a fuel-air mixture, and fired by compression when the user puts his or her full body weight down into the boot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_boots https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/these-gas-powered-bo...

Seems to be these ones, and bunch of more videos in the description too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJvmAXCh6Ak

Re: Project Amplify: Powered footwear for running and walking

#36

Post by intrasight »

arjie wrote: post #10

I'm a huge fan of "slightly better walking/running" kind of tech. Unfortunately, current technology lends itself to devices that are slightly too heavy. I have a pair of Shift Moonwalkers[0] that I was hoping would fulfill that role. A motorcycle accident interrupted my fitness program and it took quite a lot of work to get back to where I am. During that period there were many times when I was (minorly) injured repe…

I am that older guy. For sure it catches up.

Re: Project Amplify: Powered footwear for running and walking

#38

Post by terribleperson »

metabagel wrote: post #26
PuissantSheep wrote: post #19

For those of you who don’t “see the point” of a device like this, what you are failing to see is your own personal use case. The use cases I can see for others are “anyone who might find this useful or fun”. To me, that means 1) people with medically compromised joints who would like to engage in experiences that their bodies don’t currently allow. 2) people who want to challenge themselves by making these joint addi…

It sounds great, but I’m skeptical that it will actually help without messing up the natural motion.

There is nothing natural about the motions of running in modern running shoes, and yet people learn. Getting the behavior right will be difficult, I'm sure, but not impossible.

Re: Project Amplify: Powered footwear for running and walking

#39

Post by esseph »

ternus wrote: post #12
jvdvegt wrote: post #8

I'd like such technology very much, as I lack about 80% of my calf muscles due to an auto immune disease. I can't walk without a (non powered) exo skeleton, and perhaps with these I can walk stairs again.

Wow, that's awful. Have you looked into the existing powered exoskeletons? Or are those too hip/thigh focused to help?

There's some excellent knee ones, too
Post reply on HN