Intelligent electronic footwear and logic for navigation assistance by automated tactile, audio, and visual feedback

An article of footwear, comprising:

• a shoe structure configured to receive and support thereon a foot of a user;
• a fastening mechanism attached to the shoe structure and configured to secure the foot of the user to the shoe structure;
• an electric motor attached to the shoe structure and operable to transition the fastening mechanism between an untensioned state and a tensioned state;
• a wireless communications device attached to the shoe structure and configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node;
• and
• a controller communicatively connected to the electric motor and the wireless communications device, the controller being programmed to:
• receive a first input signal indicative of a request to tighten the fastening mechanism;
• in response to receiving the first input signal, activate a tensioning mode and thereby command the electric motor to transition the fastening mechanism from the untensioned state to the tensioned state;
• after activating the tensioning mode, receive a second input signal indicative of path plan data including a derived route for traversing from a start location to a target location of a target object or site within a geographic region;
• and
• responsive to receiving the second input signal, activate a navigation mode and thereby command the electric motor to output a predetermined tactile cue perceptible by the user and configured to guide the user along the derived route.