Smart socks help runners avoid injury

FIRST it was Lycra, then mini computers that track every step – this week in Las Vegas the world’s first “smart socks” were unveiled.

The £100 (R1 750) socks track how a user’s foot hits the ground, the rhythm of each footfall and can also calculate stride length.

Over time, the socks’ sensors learn how their wearers run and it has been claimed that they could alert people to the possibility of injury.

Heapsylon, the company behind the Sensoria range, raised £52 000 (R910 685) from online investors and said the socks would be available in March. It is working with British firm Vivobarefoot, which makes shoes that are designed to particularly complement the shape of the foot.

The socks will use in-built sensors that connect to an ankle bracelet and, in turn, to a phone. An app will show users “heat maps” of how their foot strikes the ground.

The product is among a host of “wearable technologies” to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this week. The show will also see the launch of an internet-connected toothbrush.

The Kolibree claims that its analysis of brushing habits, displayed via a smartphone app, will allow people to improve their dental hygiene.

The $99 (R1 056) device will go on sale later this year and will “tell you whether you brushed long enough and reached the hard-to-reach but important parts of your teeth and gums”.

Ben Wood, an analyst with CCS Insight, said millions of dollars had been invested by the public in online fundraising efforts for “wearables”. He claimed their “explosive growth” could mirror tablet sales over the next few years. – The Telegraph