Handsfree Crocs

We introduce CROCS, a device that aims to aid people suffering from disabilities might encounter problems when using classical shoes so that they do not need to bend over or use their hands anymore. We want to help disabled people put on and off their shoes without having to bend over or use their hands.

To be able to create this specialized shoe, we have encountered a challenging task, to make the shoes easy to put on and off without using one or both hands while still guaranteeing comfort and reactivity.

In the scene, you will be first given an introduction on the context of the usage, then a demonstration of the mechanism’s closure and reopening will allow you to witness a test by the presenters, with a bit of walking as well to prove the robustness.

By displaying the pressure on the heel during the presentation, we will be able to observe how the mechanism adapts to the pace of the user in order to stay comfortable. If we do not use our hands to open/close the shoes and can comfortably walk wearing them, it is completing the requirements of the project.

In the future, this technology could be implemented to a plethora of domains. From adaptable backpack straps to fragile objects handling, the only limit is the imagination! This kind of technology can be extended to different jobs that need both hands either clean or available (i.e. hospital personnel) for other tasks.