Feel like you’re in someone else’s shoes with a pair of “Stellvertreters”

What would it be like to walk in someone else’s shoes? Swiss students Lukas Gächter, Olivia Stadler and Ramon Marc of Zürcher Hochschule der Künste have developed “Stellvertreter” shoes that take this time-honored saying quite literally. Their two-component project is designed to convey the movement of one person to another person at another  location, making it possible to share the activities of one in the shoes of the other.

The input sneakers are equipped with pressure sensors which can record the motion of the wearer. The output footgear feature embedded silicone cushions that inflate and deflate according to the recorded actions. The technology is made possible through its shiftr.io platform and the arduino ‘yún’ micro-controller,

The designers say it will make it possible to feel a loved ones steps when that person is far away, or know what it’s like to experience a star athlete’s stride.

Video: Nils Edison