Haptic Moon Boots

As reported on TechCrunch, Professor Leia Stirling and graduate students at MIT have been developing a boot-mounted system that’s meant to help keep astronauts informed about their surroundings.

The boot prototype shown in the video below has been tested by the Mars Desert Research Society, and contains an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and range finder. Feedback is given via vibrating pulses that get stronger and more frequent as an obstacle approaches, similar to how the Jaws music seems to work, according to writer Devin Coldewey’s observation.

Although most of us likely won’t become astronauts, foot-mounted sensors and haptic feedback could have other interesting applications. Perhaps one day a similar setup could act as a driving aid or let you know if you need to pedal a little harder while riding a bike.