We bring the latest technological developments to the footwear industry with tailor-made solutions, providing the companies with powerful tools to increase their competitiveness
Current technological developments provide essential elements to improve the quality and differentiation of consumer products such as footwear, increasing their added value and their market positioning.
Competitiveness based on high quality standards requires the implementation of technology and especially in such a traditional industry as is the footwear sector so that it can join the Industry 4.0 trend. Due to its special characteristics, this upgrading process has to be frequently focused on tailor-made solutions, developed with deep knowledge of each production phase and in close collaboration with the companies, to ensure its adaptation to the variability of the products manufactured by the footwear and related industries.
MAIN RESEARCH LINES
DIGITISATION
Customisation is a growing demand in today's society and the footwear industry cannot ignore this trend. For the manufacture of shoes adapted to each foot of each user, INESCOP has developed a laser digitising system that renders, in a few seconds, a digital copy of the customer's feet, from which a custom design can be created to meet not only aesthetic expectations, but also those of comfort or even orthopaedic/therapeutic characteristics.
aRTIFICIAL VISION
Artificial Vision and Image Analysis can be used for many different applications in industrial, scientific or safety sectors. In this sense, INESCOP intends to bring this technology to the footwear sector, and has developed a series of small-sized and medium resolution cameras, at a very low cost that allow their incorporation, as a sensor element, in the automation of essential processes of the footwear production chain, both from the point of view of real-time process monitoring for an early detection of defects, and the digitisation of different pieces for the guidance of robotic systems.
INTERNET OF THINGS
The Internet of Things or 'IoT' is a relatively new concept that has penetrated deep into today’s technological society. The digital interconnection of everyday elements via the Internet offers a wide range of possibilities and, being aware of that, INESCOP has opened a line of 'connected' products that allow companies to have more information, in less time, on their own local or remote processes, thus leading the footwear industry into the Industry 4.0 concept, which is crucial to improve competitiveness and adaptability to a market as changing as today’s.