• Nike’s latest shoe uses robotics to power people
• It is designed to help “anyone with a body” walk or run faster and further
• Nike says it is looking to commercialize the tech

Nike has announced arguably the wildest creation to come out of its Oregon-based Research Labs in the form of the world’s first “powered footwear system”.

Partnering with robotics expert Dephy, Nike’s Project Amplify is designed to help everyday, run-of-the-mill folks walk or jog a little bit faster.

A high-end, carbon-plated running shoe is mated to a robotic leg brace, which consists of a powerful motor, drive belt and rechargeable ankle cuff battery that essentially takes the heavy lifting out of walking or jogging.

The robotic addition can be removed and the running shoe can be worn, well, like an old-fashioned running shoe.

Nike says that Project Amplify could do for walking or jogging what e-bikes have done for cycling, chiefly making it easier for people to go further and faster without the effort.

Rather than being aimed at elite athletes looking to set a PB — albeit a very questionable one – Nike is focussing on those running a 10 to 12-minute mile pace.

The company says the shoes offer, in effect, a “second set of calf muscles”, helping to flatten hills and generally make a lengthy morning commute or relaxed runs more bearable over greater distances.

There’s no firm commitment on a launch date but Nike seems serious about commercializing the robotic runners, stating that it wants to bring the footwear system to a broad consumer launch in the coming years.

Analysis: We’ll all be augmented one day

I have witnessed first-hand the extent to which some companies are augmenting workers with powered robotics.

Hyundai’s advanced automotive factory in Singapore, for example, sees staff don robotic exoskeletons that help them work overhead for long periods of time.

At the factory, I even tested out a special pair of trousers that double-up as a stool to take weight off the feet. It sounds mad but it actually works.

We’ve also tried out Iron Man-style exoskeletons like the Hypershell ($799 / £630 / around AU$1,315) and our reviewer concluded that “despite looking silly, would say I enjoyed it”.

Now that a name as big as Nike is getting involved on a (potentially) commercial level, you can bet that human-robotic augmentation will soon be the next big buzzword in wearables.

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Leon has been navigating a world where automotive and tech collide for almost 20 years, reporting on everything from in-car entertainment to robotised manufacturing plants. Currently, EVs are the focus of his attentions, but give it a few years and it will be electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Outside of work hours, he can be found tinkering with distinctly analogue motorcycles, because electric motors are no replacement for an old Honda inline four.