Usability Views Article Details  home | timeline | recent | popular | e-reports | userati | books | about  Gadgets with a sporting chance (24 Sep 2004) The trend towards high-tech assistance is not limited to sports with a reputation for expensive gear, however. Even running, that most basic of sports, provides scope for electronic enhancement. The Adidas 1 running shoe, which is due to be launched in December, incorporates a battery-powered sensor that takes about 1,000 readings a second. A microprocessor then directs a tiny embedded electric motor to adjust the characteristics of the sneaker, enabling it to change the degree of cushioning depending on the surface conditions and the wearer's running style and foot position. The race for the smartest use of microchips in sporting equipment, it seems, has begun. Article URL: http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3171369 Read 53 more articles from Economist sorted by date, popularity, or title. Next Article: Google and the search business     This site is a labour of love built by Chris McEvoy