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A Highly Specialized Athletic Shoe Thanks to Robots at Adidas

Sept. 28, 2016

Your nex running shoe may be made exclusively by robot.

Factory floor robots have long been put to work to build cars and airplanes. And in the latest effort, they're focusing somewhere closer to home (or closet): Creating highly specialized athletic shoes.

From its next-generation Speedfactory facility in Germany, Adidas is now experimenting with making the Futurecraft M.F.G. (Made for Germany) running shoe in a facility exclusively staffed by robots, according to an article appearing on Futurism. The large-scale Speedfactory, set to go live in 2017, houses what Adidas has described as cutting-edge automation and robotics technology that will help bring products to market faster and keep them closer to where they are sold.

Futurecraft M.F.G. are the first set of kicks to come off the robot line. The running shoe sports the firm’s trademark Primeknit upper along with a 3D printed Boost midsole. Robots are in charge of not only producing the M.F.G., but also motion capture technology will be used to automate shoe design and do more customization so the sneaker fits with an individual’s skin or bone.

Adidas is kicking off production with only 500 units. But with robots as its starters, it won’t be long until it puts plant efficiency points on the board.

About the Author

Beth Stackpole, contributing writer | Contributing Editor, Automation World

Beth Stackpole is a veteran journalist covering the intersection of business and technology, from the early days of personal computing to the modern era of digital transformation. As a contributing editor to Automation World, Beth's coverage traverses a range of industries and technologies, including AI/machine learning, analytics, automation hardware and software, cloud, security, edge computing, and supply chain. In addition to her high-tech and business journalism work, Beth writes an array of custom editorial content and thought leadership pieces.