International Student Competition iCAN'15

In November 2014, the KIT JointWatchR student team (joint observers) won the national student competition COSIMA (Competition of Students in Microsystems Applications) against nine other teams from Germany and won first place with their app-controlled variable damping. This success qualified the interdisciplinary student team for the international iCan'15 competition held in Anchorage, Alaska.

The aim of this competition is the improvement of everyday objects by microsystems technology. The KIT team decided to realize a variable damping in a running shoe. The ideal damping of a technical system is influenced by many factors. In the case of a bicycle damper, for example, the ideal damping depends on the weight of the rider. In the case of hand-held construction machines, on the other hand, the user's physique (bone density, fat content, etc.) has a major influence on the system behavior. Only with a built-in variable damping can the load be adjusted for different users. JointWatchR realized their variable damping in a running shoe, which depends among other things on the following factors: type of sport, body weight, training condition, running style, rolling behaviour, underground etc. With a variable shock absorber in the shoe, the athlete can realize a comfortable load for himself on asphalt as well as on forest paths.

The KIT Foundation supported the KIT JointWatchR student team with a travel grant to enable them to participate in the international iCan competition in Alaska. A total of 19 teams from four different continents competed in the competition and the Karlsruhe team secured a very good second place.