Wiivv Custom, 3D Printed Insoles Now Live on Kickstarter

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 6, 2016) - Today, Wiivv Wearables Inc. - a bionics company that creates on-demand, custom, 3D printed gear - officially launched in North America with a Kickstarter campaign for BASE by Wiivv. BASE is a 3D printed insole created using a smart phone app and advanced computer vision to capture foot data. The breakthrough design of the insole was created in conjunction with biomechanics experts in the field of sports medicine, orthotics and pedorthics to maximize comfort, promote alignment and lessen foot fatigue.

Wiivv has a Kickstarter funding goal of $50,000 USD that will be used in the manufacturing and fulfilment of BASE insoles, which will begin shipping within days of the completion of the campaign.

"BASE by Wiivv is a body-perfect insole for people that work, play and lead active lives on their feet. Having worked with hundreds of first responders, filmmakers, weekend warriors and hospitality workers, we know that we are making a profound difference in their daily lives," said Shamil Hargovan, CEO & Co-Founder, Wiivv. "We welcome the Kickstarter community to experience the BASE difference for themselves."

Wiivv has chosen an insole as its first mobile-ready consumer product to solve common foot pain at a more accessible price than a corrective orthotic prescribed by a specialist. BASE insoles have a patent-pending design that ensures biomechanical neutrality to lessen pressure on the forefoot, thereby increasing stability and promoting healthy alignment. By offering a custom fit that is tailored to each foot, the insoles are able to follow each person's unique arch, reducing the foot fatigue that is typically caused by improper support in shoes.

In a third party kinematic analysis, BASE custom insoles were found to "significantly reduce joint load of the knee and hip at 30 percent gait cycle," according to Geoffrey Desmoulin, MSc, MS, PhD, President of GTD Engineering. "This may translate to reduced injuries and increase performance in activities requiring endurance."

"The orthotic industry is critical to sports medicine for the management of injury," said Dr. Jack Taunton, M.D., Past Chief Medical Officer of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games. "I am excited about Wiivv's integration of 3D printing for the construction of orthotics to further advance the field."

"Every foot is totally different. Off-the-shelf inserts cannot account for that," said Christian Johannsen, Certified Pedorthist, Foot Solutions Vancouver. "Wiivv has taken this a step further with custom insoles that you can capture using a smart phone in your living room."

The team has developed a suite of technologies that comprise a newly conceptualized 'Adaptive Manufacturing System' that can be applied to any part of the human body. Using proprietary computer vision technologies, photos can be used to create a 3D model that is manufactured using 3D Systems' SLS printers in Wiivv's San Diego facility.

Consumers interested in experiencing adaptive manufacturing firsthand can now purchase their own pair of custom BASE insoles at http://www.wiivv.com/kickstarter.

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ABOUT WIIVV

Wiivv is a bionics company that creates custom, 3D printed body-perfect gear. Wiivv was featured in the Inc. Magazine "Coolest College Startups 2015", Forbes "Twelve of Today's Most Impressive Young Entrepreneurs", and was winner of both the Inside 3D Printing Start-Up and the Vancouver Start-Up Week Product Hunt Demo competitions.

Wiivv's team is comprised of industry leaders in 3D printing and wearable technologies from companies including Apple®, EA®, HP®, Google®, Nike® and 3D Systems®. Wiivv is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with a research and development / manufacturing facility in San Diego, California.

ABOUT DR. JACK TAUNTON

Dr. Jack Taunton is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Division of Sports Medicine at the University of British Columbia - and is the Chief of the Sports Science Advisory Board at Wiivv. Dr. Taunton is currently the Director of Sports Medicine for Fortius Sport and Health and has maintained a clinical practice at the Alan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre for over 35 years. Known as a thought leader in the field of Sports Medicine, Dr. Taunton was previously the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, as well as the Team Physician for the Vancouver Grizzlies NBA Team. He has been a competitive runner, completing over 60 marathons, and continues to run and race today.

ABOUT GEOFFREY DESMOULIN

Geoffrey Desmoulin is the president of GTD Engineering that provides professional biomechanical engineering, incident reconstruction, and related expertise for clients, which include governmental entities, educational institutions, corporations, and attorneys. Geoffrey received a B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University specializing in biomechanics, as well as a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Wayne State university specializing in injury biomechanics. Moreover, Geoff has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary, specializing in tissue injury and repair. Lastly, Geoffrey is a registered kinesiologist, which licenses him to perform a wide range of services professionally outside the scope of biomechanical engineering.