Walky + is walking shoes for 5 - 7 years old kids to learn good way of walking by interactive sound. When they walk in good pattern, they can hear the sound from shoe in natural way. Kids can learn good walk by active way of their walking action itself at the early age. They can have fun at good way of walking. lastly good walking itself leads to their healthy body & life.
Walky +
Exhibited at ‘Tokyo Designers Week 2012’
Nominated as ‘Top Students’ for the ID KAIST Graduation Project 2012 ‘Design Trap’
Key Concept
Active Way of Learning
Kids can naturally learn about good walk by active way of their walking itself at the early age
Fun & Interactive motion
Kids can have fun when walking in good way, which leads them to have interactive motion of harmonised sound.
Make it Healthy
Learning good walking at the early age of thier life is important. Motion of good walking itself leads to thier healthy body.
Walky +, Interactive Shoe
For outsole of shoe, shaped each important pressure parts of foot. And designed the form to be flexibly walking by the stimulation of heel, yongchoen and toes, using the process of molding.
Field Research
Observation Result & Key Insight
Walky +, Work in Progress version
Using Air tube, making harmony sound by the right posture and step by the pressure of the foot.
Design Process
User Scenario
Parents who are interested in their kids walking habbit at early age. They want to lead them by the interesting way.
Kids simply walk as they want even if it is an out-toed gait or inner step of walking
When they walk in good step, it comes with the interesting sound.
They feel enjoyable and try to walk in good way to hear the sound.
Walky +, Shoes
Prototype Process
Using Air tube, making harmony sound by the right posture and step by the pressure of the foot.
Shoes as Interactive Product
For outsole of shoe, shaped each important pressure parts of foot. And designed the form to be flexibly walking by the stimulation of heel, yongchoen and toes, using the process of molding.
Working Mechanism
Walking by giving pressure and stimulating on the yongchoen and toes makes blood circulation to be better going on. It prevents from having too much risks on knees and joints, and strengthens it. Walking step goes from heel, yongchoen, and toes. Each part has depended pressure values by the person’s weight. Compact and mini device consists of Mini Arduino, speaker and coin battery, which is easy to put in and get out from out sole of shoe. This device is connected with heel insert, where each pressure sensors are embedded.
Normal Way of Walking
Each 6, and 7 years old Children are walking as their normal way. They almost walked in out-toed gait.
Wearing Walky +, Good & Normal Way of Walking
After wearing Walky +, they felt interested at hearing interactive sound when they walked in good pattern. They tried to walk good way more and more to get the sound feedback from shoe.