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HP steps ahead with customised insoles

Simnikiwe Mzekandaba
By Simnikiwe Mzekandaba, IT in government editor
Barcelona, Spain, 23 May 2018
HP's FitStation scans feet for custom-created shoe insoles.
HP's FitStation scans feet for custom-created shoe insoles.

All 32 teams in the National Football League (NFL), the American football league, have HP's insole FitStation, according to Louis Kim, global head and GM of HP Inc's immersive computing team.

Introduced last September, HP's FitStation is a 3D scanning and pressure sensing device that aims to deliver individualised footwear through 3D scanning, gait analysis and manufacturing technologies.

The FitStation works by capturing 3D scans of the foot, foot pressure measurements, gait analysis and volumetric 3D scanned data to create a digital profile of each foot. In doing so, the device looks to provide shoppers with precise fit and individualised products.

Speaking at the HP Global Innovation Summit, which kicked off yesterday at the Sant Cugat Experience Centre in Barcelona, Kim said creating these new technology experiences is all part of immersive computing.

Immersive computing allows humanity to catch up with the power of technology, he explained.

He pointed out that the fact that NFL teams have 3D scanning for customised shoes and insoles is a great example of an application where performance is of the ultimate importance.

In the shoe and insole industries, mass production has been great, but it means nothing that has been created is especially personalised for an individual, he noted. "Health, performance, fit and comfort are the most critical aspect of a shoe or an insole.

"Football players weigh between 90kg to 150kg and the forces they undergo on the feet are tremendous."

Meanwhile, footwear manufacturing companies like Nike, Under Armour and New Balance have also been experimenting with 3D printing, but have so far only used the technique to make prototypes, soles tailored for sponsored athletes and a handful of high-priced novelty shoes.

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