Students at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are working on a smart sports shoe with variable cushioning that adapts to the runner and the ground conditions. This is made possible by a concentrated load of automation technology in miniature.
© Igus
... a plastic plain bearing from Igus. This lubrication- and maintenance-free bearing made of the material 'iglidur G' has a diameter of 3 mm. It ensures that the worm wheel, which drives a gear wheel, remains in position. Rotation of the gear wheel regulates the preload of the polymer damping element and thus the damping characteristics of the running shoe. "There is no smaller and equally effective bearing," Julian Wolf, one of the project managers, is convinced and adds: "We needed a high degree of efficiency, i.e. the lowest possible friction, so that the small motor can transmit enough power."
