Maybe The Future Is Now: BTTF Power Laces

To make up for that whole Back to the Future hoax, here's some hope that maybe by 2015 we actually will have all the stuff they did in the movie. Starting with: POWER WHEELS LACES! Plus they only require a giant proton pack strapped to the back to work! Technology!

Inspired by 'Back to The Future II', this project is less 'Practical' than 'Proof of Concept', but hopefully it'll tide you over until Nike comes out with something more polished.

This was also the first time I worked with an Arduino microcontroller, and I wanted to get some experience with the little guy.

Operation is quite simple- step into the shoe and a force sensor reads the pressure of your foot and activates two servo motors, which apply tension to the laces, tightening the shoe. A touch switch reverses the servos.

Impressive, Power Laces, but I'd like you to meet the real future of shoe technology. Power Laces, this is Velcro. Velcro, Power Laces. Now you two choke each other while I look for my other flip-flop.

Hit the jump for several more pictures and a worthwhile video of the laces in action.

Power Laces- the Auto lacing shoe [instructables]
via
Heavy: Back to the Future Sneaker Power Laces [obviouswinner]

Thanks to khz and Vasssskk, who know we won't need shoes at all in the future because we'll all have jetpacks. Thank God.

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