AutoCleat is a shoe attachment that automatically deploys ice spikes when winter surfaces become unsafe. It was designed to solve the awkwardness of traditional cleats, which work outdoors but become inconvenient or damaging when walking indoors.
The prototype uses temperature sensing to detect icy conditions and an ultrasonic foot-lift sensor to deploy TPU spikes only when the foot is raised. The spikes retract on safe surfaces, giving the user hands-free traction control without stopping, bending down, or manually switching modes.
Winter slips injure thousands annually, but traditional cleats require manual setup and are inconvenient when moving between icy and indoor surfaces.
- Temperature sensor detects icy surface conditions automatically
- Ultrasonic foot-lift sensor triggers spike deployment only while stepping
- TPU spikes retract on safe surfaces to preserve indoor use
Delivers hands-free traction control for winter terrain without requiring the user to stop, bend down, or press a button.