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AUSTIN, Tex. — It walks, talks and updates social media. What is it? The new Google shoe.
Google teamed up with Adidas to create a shoe with a tongue that talks with help from a speaker. The computerized shoes are part of Google's Art, Copy, & Code initiative — "a series of experiments to re-imagine advertising," the site boasts — and not intended for the market.
The black, blue, yellow and red shoes feature a gyroscope (for those of us who didn't get one at birth), an accelerometer and pressure sensor. Using the data from these instruments, the shoe can give you real-time feedback on your movements — or lack thereof. With help from its Bluetooth device, the shoes can even update Google Plus with a person's activity.
"By connecting a pair of sneakers to the web, we're creating unique opportunities between physical objects and digital ad spaces," the company wrote. "(The shoe's commentary is) creating new, interesting content in the digital world from something happening live in the physical one."
In case you need more motivation to get active than a computerized shoe that tracks your activity data, the shoe can verbally taunt the wearer into moving. The shoe is programmed to speak in a British accent, saying sarcastic comments like "Are you a statue? Let's do this already," and "Call 911 because you're on fire."
The shoe was unveiled at the SXSW, a music, film and interactive festival held each year in Austin. In addition to Adidas, Google partnered with YesYesNo and studio 5050.
