Hacking Sensoria, The Smart Sock

sensorSock

Sensor-meets-sock product “Sensoria” won’t hit the shelves for a while, but [Andrew] managed to snag a Sensoria Gaming SDK and has hacked the smart sock to control an inexpensive toy helicopter. Seldom do we see projects this rugged yet clearly effective. The sock sends data via its companion device—a Bluetooth anklet—to LabVIEW. LabVIEW subsequently talks to an attached Arduino to manipulate a servo that [Andrew] just…duct taped to the helicopter’s controller. The result: a a quick and dirty hack that proves surprisingly intuitive, providing accelerator-style foot control to drive the throttle. Check out a video of [Andrew] punishing his helicopter after the break.

This is the first hack we’ve seen for the Sensoria, which is still in the crowdsourcing phase over at Indigogo. They have already reached their funding goal, but a few SDKs remain unclaimed. You can watch an official video of the sock’s sensors lighting up a heat map in real time below.

And, if you missed it, have a look at the AsTeRICS project’s helicopter controlled by neck muscles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E-B2LDdF2M

[Thanks Mario]

11 thoughts on “Hacking Sensoria, The Smart Sock

  1. I just can’t get over how silly “smart sock” sounds. And if they get too smart, they might rebel against going in your stinky athletic shoes.

    I also wonder if a smart insole be more practical?

    But I like the hack. I remember reading about an old blackjack computer some folks devised to try and beat casinos, at least partially installed in a shoe. They would have loved this.

    1. Haha! I’m not sure practicality is the point of this, fun idea though!

      Finally we can make a pedometer that truly doesn’t miss a step! Or socks that tell you when they are about to give up the ghost.

      Also, welcome to the new writers!

  2. Skeptical as to the duarability of this. Did they run it through a standard washing machine and dryer with zero damage? because socks soak up smelly people funk pretty badly.

    1. Washable electronics is a well-solved problem. The smart bits presumably go in the anklet, with the sock itself containing simple, tough hardware. Having the minimum possible amount of hardware in the sock means the minimum amount they have to work out how to waterproof and toughen. It has to withstand the weight of a full-grown person standing on it all day, so I’d guess there’s a lot of work gone into durability.

      Reminds me of those light-up T-shirts. Again, all the electronics are in a removable non-washed box. That doesn’t get too sweaty, and it’s plastic so you can wipe it down.

      1. Ah! 3 pressure sensors made of fabric, in the sock. Presumably with threads of something conductive laced through the fabric to detect the pressure. Then the bluetooth and accelerometers are in the anklet. Sounds stable enough.

    1. +1

      They should have called them bluestockings.

      (Though I suppose the joke may be a bit obscure nowadays, it would at least be
      be appreciated by bluestockings, i.e. intellectual or well educated persons.)

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