There have been some pretty darn impressive examples of 3D-printed powered prostheses, aka bionic hands, that we’ve covered at Digital Trends. But getting them to the people who need them as quickly as possible is still something of a hurdle. Thanks to engineers at the U.K.’s University of Warwick and its industry partners, however, those days may be coming to an end.
They have developed and showcased a new system that allows for the creation of made-to-measure, 3D-printed bionic hands in just 10 hours. Their breakthrough system is the latest step in a mission to make similar prostheses available to partial amputees in as expedient a manner as possible. The project was funded -- to the tune of $1.1 million -- by the government-run agency Innovate U.K.
In what is the first merging of this new technique with an existing and bel0ved Reebok shoe, this new and improved Liquid Floatride Run promises to be 20 percent lighter than the original version, and also comes with two new features — liquid lace and liquid grip.
While your conventional shoe requires traditional laces that must be tied (and invariably become untied), Reebok has solved this problem by 3D-printing laces directly onto the shoe. The result is a stretch-to-fit slip-on shoe. The Liquid Factory process stretches across the top of the shoe at key pressure points to ensure that your foot remains in place, while offering the convenience of a slip-on shoe.
Liquid grip, on the other hand, promises to improve traction. Reebok used the liquid printing technique to draw stripes across the bottom of the shoe, but only placed the stripes where needed. After all, the rubber outsole often makes up the bulk of the weight of a sneaker, so by substituting this component with liquid, Reebok not only increased grip, but also reduced weight.
A few things didn’t change, of course, most notably the proprietary Floatride cushioning midsole. This midsole, after all, was named the Best Debut from Runner’s World in 2017, and is likely what makes the Floatride such a popular shoe among athletes.
“Last year we launched the Liquid Factory concept with the Liquid Speed shoe. It was definitely a striking silhouette, as we aimed to showcase the way that the 3D-drawing process could change the way shoes are made,” said Bill McInnis, Head of Reebok Future. “What we’re excited to highlight with Liquid Floatride is how we can apply the Liquid Factory process to any of our existing products, to make great shoes even better.”
The company seems to have ambitious plans for its Liquid Factory process moving forward. McInnis added, “The next generation of Liquid Factory products will be even more innovative, as we can create the entire shoe using the Liquid Factory process – outsole, cushioning and upper fit systems – the whole shoe. We are looking forward to bringing many more products to market that incorporate the ground-breaking Liquid Factory process.”
The limited-edition Liquid Floatride Run will be available on March 21 at the Reebok website.