Toyoda Gosei launches rubber sensor insoles to improve golf swing

KIYOSU, Japan—Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. has launched golf shoe insoles that use the company's e-Rubber sensors to capture pressure data on the soles of the foot during movement.

The "Feelsole" is the product of a collaboration with rubber materials company INOAC Corp., products manufacturer Kihara Sangyo Co. Ltd. and electronic components firm Systec Corp.

The insole accurately measures slight changes in foot sole pressure, while being light and highly flexible to tolerate large shape changes, Toyoda Gosei said March 31.

To be initially sold for golf shoes, the product works in combination with an app, availability of which is currently limited to Japan.

It makes serial measurements of body weight movement during a swing and displays the results by colored heat map on a smart phone.

The insole detects key positions in a golf swing, from the address to finish, allowing users to check body-weight movement.

This information, Toyoda Gosei said, can be used to improve the user's golf swing.

In addition to sports uses, Toyoda Gosei envisages the technology being used in health care applications.