Capskin’s sensor and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology allows them to produce products that are ergonomically better fitting than what is currently available on the market.

Wearable soft silicon sensors measure pressure and capture body shape and motion using AI: One piece of Capskin sensors consists of many capacitive sensor units. When the sensor unit is pressed and stretched its sensor readout changes accordingly. To make more sense of Capskin sensor readings, the startup employs deep learning to reconstruct the human body shape and pose. This enables soft motion and shape capture without requiring an external optical setup. By combining Capskin sensors with textiles, Capskin’s products can be present in unobtrusive forms, including socks, gloves, sleeves, bras and T-shirts. The data collected is extremely valuable for shoe manufacturers who spend a lot of money on studies for each prototype. With Capskin, data is instantly available. Another target customer group is orthopedic therapists who need precise data for their patients. Their first product is the Capskin Sensor Sock. They are thin, soft, stretchable, and reusable; like ordinary socks. The socks measure pressure around the foot and foot movement in the shoe. 3D pressure distribution is recorded and presented in real time. This novel solution is designed for footwear developers and orthopedists and provides valuable insights in improving the adaptability and fit of shoes.

The technology has been developed by two PhD students of ETH. As the technology is very complex, the generated IP is hardly replicable. The company has already had several pilot projects with major Swiss footwear companies and is bringing its solution on the market this year. As there are no similar solutions on the market, with their soft skin wearable, Capskin could disrupt the market in human centered design and not only regarding footwear. Soon, they will launch a paid early adopter program with several companies and laboratories to develop the different applications in the footwear industry (safety, running, ski, football). We believe the team has the capability to reach their newly set targets and will be able to raise a larger seed round towards the end of 2022. And this is why we invested again in Capskin.

This article was published by Serpentine Ventures: https://www.serpentine.vc/blog/smart-socks-are-just-the-beginning/