By YOKO MASUDA/ Staff Writer
August 1, 2023 at 08:00 JST
Bandai Co.’s smart shoes, named “Digicalized” (Yoko Masuda)
Toymaker Bandai Co. has come up with a novel way to get kids to exercise while glued to games on their smartphones: “smart” shoes.
Each shoe has a sensor on the sole to “read” foot movements. When the sensors are linked with a free gaming app, the in-game avatar moves in sync with the player.
The company says the shoes, named “Digicalized,” are designed to help schoolchildren regain fitness lost during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
This allows players to enjoy puzzles, dance battles and other games that involve physical activity, the company said.
The number of steps taken each day is charted, and players can earn in-game points.
Bandai released similar smart shoes in 2018.
Since then, it has improved the sensor and shoe components so body movements can be analyzed more precisely.
Available at shoe departments of Aeon Co.-affiliated stores and elsewhere nationwide, the shoes come in 12 varieties, priced between 4,950 yen ($35) and 5,390 yen, including tax.
They can also be used as regular sports shoes.
The sensor is sold separately for 3,300 yen.
PHYSICAL FITNESS SHOCK
A national survey by the Japan Sports Agency of physical fitness among elementary and junior high schoolchildren found that average scores for both boys and girls hit a record low in the 2022 academic year.
“Now that the dust has settled on the pandemic, I hope our smart shoes will serve as a catalyst for children to play outside,” said Yosuke Nakazawa, who is in charge of product development.
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