Google spin-off Verily is working on weight-watching, fall-detecting shoes

Fitbit

Verily is one of the other companies besides Google under the Alphabet umbrella, and the experimental, innovative "life sciences" firm apparently has some interesting tech on the way – smart shoes that can track your weight and detect falls.

The news comes from sources speaking to CNBC, sources who say it's still early days for the shoes but that prototypes are already being shown off. As you might expect, the footwear will also track the steps you take through the day, saving you the hassle of strapping a fitness tracker to your wrist.

Fall detection is of course something that's built into the latest Apple Watch. It's particularly reassuring for elderly users, who can rely on their wearable to alert friends and family should they take a tumble and not be able to get up again.

The future of wearables

Verily is apparently still shopping around for partners to help bring the smart shoes to market, but whether or not they ever see the light of day as a consumer product, it's an interesting hint at the way the industry is moving.

The wearables of the future may well come built right into our clothing, not just tracking essential activity and fitness data, but also doing more with that data – identifying possible health issues that need checking out. Smart shoes could spot sudden weight gain that might otherwise be missed, for example

Verily is also working on a smart spoon that can reduce hand shake in those with movement disorders, as well as a smart contact lens to improve vision. In the past the company has also demoed its own smartwatch, though it never went on sale.

Via The Verge

Header image: Fitbit

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

Latest in Smartwatches
Oura Ring 4
Activity tracking on Oura Ring is about to get a whole lot better, but I've got bad news about your step count
Google Pixel Watch 3, 41mm and 45mm
Google says it will fix broken Wear OS 5.1 update, but why does this keep happening?
Apple Watch Series 9 with Snoopy
Please, Apple, don't add a camera to the Apple Watch – it's not the change we're hoping for
Apple Watch Ultra 2 timer
The Apple Watch is getting a sleep alarm upgrade it probably should have had 10 years ago
Google Pixel Watch 3
Google Pixel Watches hit with delayed notifications, crashing, and performance issues following Wear OS 5.1 update
Apple Watch Ultra 2 move data
Apple is reportedly planning a huge future Apple Watch upgrade to turn it into an AI device with onboard cameras
Latest in News
Microsoft Surface Laptop and Surface Pro devices on a table.
Hate Windows 11’s search? Microsoft is fixing it with AI, and that almost makes me want to buy a Copilot+ PC
Oura Ring 4
Activity tracking on Oura Ring is about to get a whole lot better, but I've got bad news about your step count
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Cleaned your Pixel Buds Pro 2 recently? If not, you might be getting worse sound
Google Maps on a phone being held in someone's hand
Google Maps is getting two key upgrades, for easier route planning and quicker access to Gemini AI
URL phishing
HaveIBeenPwned owner suffers phishing attack that stole his Mailchimp mailing list
Gemini on a smartphone.
Gemini 2.5 is now available for Advanced users and it seriously improves Google’s AI reasoning