The secret to good cycling is good footwear — at least according to Jeff Palter.
The president of The Cycle Loft, a Boston-based full-service bicycle retailer, says some cycling enthusiasts aren't satisfied with just donning a pair of Nikes when they take to the road. Quite often, they insert custom orthotic footpads into their shoes to act as a cushion against the constant wear-and-tear of pedaling. Creating these custom footpads means taking precise and detailed measurements of the cyclist's feet — measurements that typically require the uninterrupted, one-on-one attention of a sales associate.
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| The eSoles Foot Imaging Kiosk System from eSoles Inc., deployed at The Cycle Loft bicycle store in Boston. |
But the unveiling of the new eSoles Foot Imaging Kiosk System, created by Scottsdale, Ariz.-based eSoles Inc., may make it possible for the customer to take these measurements on his own.
According to the company's Web site, the eSoles Foot Imaging Kiosk System is a free-standing kiosk consisting of a touchscreen monitor, a pressure mat, an air bladder "foot receiver," a digital scanner and a printer. The kiosks can also access the Web via a cellular connection.
The consumer activates the kiosk by touching the display. Once activated, the user interface leads them through the measurement process, and customers are asked to stand, walk and jog on the pressure mat. The mat uses 160 sensors (developed through a partnership with Pressure Profile Systems Inc.) to identify and map the pressure points of the user's foot in "weight bearing" position. Then a projector inside the kiosk displays a detailed image of the user's foot on the air bladder, where the user is asked to position his foot. The air bladder maps the shape of the foot in a "non-weight-bearing position," using eSoles' pneumatic laser technology, which creates a 3-D image of the foot. At the end of the process, the printer dispenses a ticket with all of the measurements required for manufacturers to create a customized footpad, based on the type of shoe desired and the type of sport the user will be playing.
The user's individual measurements are also permanently stored at the eSoles Web site, where the user can access his profile at any time by providing an identifier such as an e-mail address.
Based on this information, the retailer can either construct a footpad using pre-fabricated eSoles templates compatible with the user's measurements ($75), or order completely customized footpads from an eSoles plant ($249).
The entire process can be done with the assistance of a sales associate, or in a completely self-service manner.
Glen Hinshaw, chief executive of eSoles, says he came up with the idea for the kiosk while walking through the airport.
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| The eSoles kiosk takes precise measurements so that footpads such as this one can be created to custom-fit the user's foot. |
"We really sought out to effectively do what I was experiencing as a world traveler: to take the concept of a self-service kiosk like we see with boarding passes or at check-in for airlines, and make a scanning device that would aid a consumer through the process of imaging their feet," Hinshaw said.
The kiosk chassis is manufactured by Olea Inc., a member of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association. Frank Olea, vice president of Olea Inc., said it's a project he's particularly proud of.
"This kiosk is by far one of the most innovative projects we've worked on to date," Olea said. "My hat is off to the folks at eSoles and Pressure Profile for creating a system that has really pushed the boundaries of self-service and mass customization. We of course don't want to give away any trade secrets, but the kiosk's unique ability to scan your foot and create a true 3-D image of it is extremely innovative."
Flextronics Self-Service Kiosk Systems, another member of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association, developed the software for the kiosk, and planning support for large scale deployment.
David Gonsiorowski, general manager of Flextronics, says he's impressed with eSoles' strategy for building the project.
"They have effectively been able to get everyone working collaboratively to create a system poised for growth," he said. "Many times we see projects where providers are working in silos so information and technology sharing is limited."
Installation No. 1
Palter says that, as president of a bicycle retailer, he was drawn to the kiosks immediately when he saw them exhibited in Las Vegas at the Interbike 2007 cycling industry trade show. When he and Hinshaw subsequently met, Hinshaw explained that the initial rollout would include one kiosk in every major market.
"I wanted the one in Boston," Palter said. "It's going to attract customers that don't even know about us."
That vision was realized on Sunday, when the first kiosk was deployed at Palter's store. He says the "wow factor" alone is already attracting attention, with customers mesmerized, particularly with the technology of the 3-D imaging system.
"Getting it up and running was super-easy," he said, adding that the installation and power-up took only minutes.
He said the scanning process is simpler than expected, and that although he originally planned on having sales associates assist the user in operating the machines, that may not be necessary.
"It's exceptionally easy," he said. "It's so easy you could literally self-serve."
