Into this mix, a team with the Samsung C-Lab (short for Creative Lab) was recently inspired to develop a first-of-its-kind product, the IOFIT smart golf shoe, which utilizing pressure sensor technology embedded in the shoes, provides real-time analysis and feedback on a player’s golf swing through a mobile app.

For its part, there was an article featured Samsung C-Lab last month on Samsung Newsroom, a program designed to support Samsung employees in nurturing their own business ideas towards the ultimate goal of becoming fully fledged businesses. During their participation in C-Lab, Samsung workers can take six months to a year away from their usual day jobs to devote themselves 100% to working on their ideas.

A Mission to Change the Way People Play Sports

Envisioning to change the way people play sports, the IOFIT team, following a period of formation and incubation through C-Lab, launched the world’s first smart shoe product to help golfers quickly and smartly improve their games.

The IOFIT smart golf shoe features a high-quality, comfortable shoe product, which incorporating thin pressure sensors embedded in the outsole, measures a player’s balance and weight shifts in real-time. This data is then transferred via Bluetooth to the user’s smartphone where analysis and feedback is provided through an app on how the player can improve his or her swing. The IOFIT pressure sensor technology is itself particularly cutting-edge, designed to accurately detect any subtle changes in pressure distribution in a matter of milliseconds. The sensors are also waterproof and carefully built to withstand excessive amounts of weight, of up to 330 lbs (150 kg).

Once the data is fed from the shoe to the user’s smartphone, the IOFIT app offers key functions including complete analysis of a player’s swing from pressure distribution to center of pressure (CoP) to left/right and front/back balance in real-time. Another function of the app then interprets this data to provide coaching and personalized feedback to the user. To round out the features, the app also includes an option for players to compete with their friends on who has the better golf swing as well as share their individual swing information.

IOFIT Kickstarter Campaign

Passionate about the unique offering of its product, the IOFIT team provided samples of its smart shoes for various media outlets to trial. The feedback that came back was nothing short of terrific with outlets from CNET to Gizmodo to Fortune to many others praising the effectiveness and fun factor of the shoes.

As the IOFIT project entered its culmination phase and to begin delivering the shoes to people worldwide, the IOFIT team launched a crowdfunding campaign via the well-known Kickstarter platform. A common funding approach for today’s start-ups, crowdfunding involves the raising of funding for a new venture via monetary contributions from a larger number of people, and is typically conducted through internet platforms.

IOFIT’s Kickstarter page, which was launched on August 2, successfully reached its goal of raising USD 30,000 in just 10 hours. As of the date of this post, the funding stands at just over USD 50,000.

The IOFIT team sees golf shoes as just the start and envisions to expand their line of smart shoes into other sports and, even different fields, like healthcare.

Upcoming Innovations from Samsung C-Lab

With C-Lab’s pivotal role supporting successful projects like the IOFIT smart shoe, it’s clear why there’s so much excitement around the program here at Samsung. In the near future, C-Lab has many other exciting projects that we will share more about on Samsung Newsroom.

For instance, one project we’re particularly excited about is SGNL, a smart watch strap that activates a range of functionality to any watch—and also provides a point-of-contact technique for listening on phone calls just by touching your finger to your ear. As the sound can only be heard by the person wearing the device, it is perfect for noise-sensitive environments like conference rooms or an elevator to make calls privately without the risk of being overheard. SGNL has shown so much potential that the group was launched as a new, independent company in 2015.

Another innovation is the smart wearable healthcare belt WELT, which was first showcased at CES 2016. WELT is capable of the recording user’s overall health by measuring the waist size, overeating habits, the number of steps taken and time spent sitting down. It then sends data to a specially designed app for the production of personalized healthcare and weight management plans. Also, its elegant design makes it looks just like a regular leather belt.

As Samsung C-Lab rolls forward, you can expect details on many more exciting innovations like these that Samsung employees are busy at work dreaming about and creating. Please stay tuned!

While the latest smart phones may be the focus of attention at Mobile World Congress 2016, some of the most interesting tech gadgets that will be unveiled to the world aren’t yet considered to be part of the mainstream.

Take IOFIT, for example. Technically considered a wearable device, this unique smart shoe is in a category of its own. Developed by Salted Venture, a startup supported by Samsung Electronics, IOFIT is a solution that utilizes a combination of pressure sensors and a coaching app to improve a user’s balance and body posture to enhance one’s fitness routine or golf swing.

“There’s so much valuable information coming from our feet, and it’s being wasted,” said Jacob Cho, CEO of Salted Venture. “So, we wanted to make use of this data and utilize it to provide value to people. That was the driving force behind IOFIT.”

Getting Off on the Right Foot

The idea for the smart shoe was born at C-Lab, one of Samsung’s primary Innovation Programs that helps its employees to nurture creative business ideas. Soon thereafter, the team left the firm to establish Salted Venture as an independent company and create new business opportunities.

After realizing the possibilities and potential applications of the information coming from feet—possibilities that range from healthcare initiatives to video games—the minds behind IOFIT realized that they needed to segment their customer group to a more specific target to provide the most value. That’s when their extensive field research began.

While visiting premium fitness centers and professional golf facilities, the team learned how force plates—equipment used for posture rehabilitation and data analysis—proved the value of their idea. “There was an existing solution that was providing value already,” said COO and UX Planner Sehee Lee. “That’s what validated our belief in how this product can provide value for people.” Unlike the static, pricey equipment, however, the IOFIT shoe would need to be portable and cost-effective.

To do this, data analysis technology like accelerometers and pressure sensors were incorporated into the outsoles of shoes. Together, they are able to measure users’ balance, weight shift, ground contact force and location of COG (Center of Gravity)—specific factors essential to enable a more efficient and injury-free fitness and golf experience. This data, updated in real-time, is displayed on a pressure map on the screen of the IOFIT smartphone app, which pairs to the shoes.

“The technology is not only portable, but also seamless. It’s integrated into something you wear all the time, so you don’t even have to think about it,” noted Marketer Jungsoo Park.

IOFIT: A New Kind of Smart Shoe

As wearable device users, the creators behind IOFIT recognized the limitations of wearables such as smartwatches, fitness trackers and even other smart shoes currently available on the market.

“They’re tracking and throwing around all these data points and suggesting problems, but not providing a solution to the problem,” Cho said. “The few devices that have been able to offer a solution are trying to serve as an alternative to training with a coach, and attempting to build something greater than a human-to-human experience.”

As such, it didn’t take long for IOFIT to become centered specifically on coaching. Instead of simply offering users a compilation of data, the Salted Venture team developed a system that allows for an enhanced person-to-person connection.

What makes this possible is the video playback feature of the IOFIT application, which allows a user to evaluate their form and the respective real-time data all on one screen. Utilizing this core feature, a user can better visualize how they look, and how their stance and posture are affecting their fitness routine or their golf swing.

Another core feature of the application is the customizable coaching and analysis software which can be used to leave feedback or compare saved videos. With this tool, a coach can draw directly on the video or leave voice-over comments to offer precise, straightforward feedback. Furthermore, two videos can be compared side-by-side or stacked to give a clearer picture of what the data should or should not look like, allowing trainers to easily coach no matter their location in the world.

“We want to be a platform and a coaching tool for people to use. It’s an add-on to the interactive experience between people,” stated Lee. “You can’t outweigh the benefits that come from a real human-to-human interactive experience.” In this way, IOFIT remains unique in an ever-growing wearables market.

Going Global

While functionality is indeed an important factor, the footwear industry is also about style, which is why Salted Venture is focusing many of their efforts on the design of IOFIT.

“We don’t want people to just buy our shoes for functionality. We also want them to feel proud when they wear our shoes in public,” said Park.

As such, the startup is actively seeking business opportunities with footwear companies, and has already garnered attention from some of the world’s biggest brands. The group hopes to reach out to other shoe brands that share their vision during Mobile World Congress later this month in Barcelona, where they will be participating as an exhibitor.

Salted Venture is also excited to showcase IOFIT on a global level and get feedback on their product.

“Our goal is to empower people who love fitness and sports to train smarter and coach better,” Cho explained. “We want to see our products being used by inspiring athletes, coaches and individuals all over the world and to make their training and coaching experience the best it can be.”

Be sure to check out IOFIT at MWC from February 22 to February 26, 2016. IOFIT will be showcased at Stand 8.0K5 in Hall 8.0 of Fira Gran Via. To watch IOFIT demonstration, check out the video below.

Samsung Electronics announced that it will support three of its current C-Lab (Creative Lab) projects as fully-fledged startups, with the goal of each company’s products and services going live by the first half of next year. The C-Lab, established at the end of 2012, is one of Samsung’s primary Innovation Programs, and helps its employees to nurture creative business ideas.

The three projects to be launched as startups are:

• TipTalk – a remarkable new UX that that can recognize sounds through body parts, with potential applications in the wearable device sector
• IoFIT – a new prototype ‘smart shoes solution’ that can correct a person’s gait and body posture, with potential applications in the healthcare and wellness sectors
• WalkON – a new app and mobile platform that makes walking more fun, by rewarding people with vouchers from brand partners when they achieve a target number of steps

“Samsung has always strived to both attract and support innovative talent, and provide them the opportunities they deserve to bring their ideas to life,” said Jaiil Lee, Vice President and Head of the Creativity and Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics. “Now, we want to go even further and invest in the vision of our entrepreneurial employees, helping them to start their own business journey.”

As nine employees from the startups leave Samsung, they will establish an independent company . Samsung will provide counsel by sharing its technology and management expertise with each company during the early stages of their business lifecycle, ensuring stable growth and guaranteeing the independence and freedom of each startup’s management team.

Employees also have the option to formally re-join Samsung.

Samsung believes that the initiative to turn the C-Lab projects into startups will further encourage staff to develop creative ideas. The C-Lab, which was founded to encourage and foster creative thinking and a creative culture throughout the company, has so far supported more than 100 projects.