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Activity Tracking: Stay on track
Wearables, fitness trackers and biometric data technologies take over more and more floor space at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) each year. This year’s event in Las Vegas was no exception. Tom Walker reports
QARDIOCORE
Among the preventative healthcare solutions on show at CES was QardioCore, a wearable ECG monitor set to be launched later in 2017. Created by US-based digital health company Qardio, QardioCore will be marketed as the first wearable medical ECG monitor that allows users to monitor their heart health without the need for wires or patches.
Packed with proprietary sensor technology, QardioCore records more than 20 million data points, streaming the user’s live medical-grade data to their smartphones. The device is worn as a chest strap and records continuous ECG, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, temperature and activity data. The data can be easily – and automatically – shared with, for example, medical professionals. Athletes can also take advantage of QardioCore to help them achieve peak performance and optimise their training.
QardioCore pairs with the free Qardio app for iOS and works with iPhone, iPad and iPod, as well as Apple Health. It works with other Qardio products too, including: QardioArm, a smart blood pressure monitor; QardioBase, wireless scales and body analyser; and QardioMD, a dashboard for doctors.
fitness-kit.net keyword: QARDIOCORE
MOTIV RING
San Francisco-based tech start-up Motiv introduced an innovative sleep tracking device that doubles as a fitness tracker – as well as a fashion statement.
The new Motiv Ring is being marketed as the “first highly advanced wearable device that changes the way that people measure both activity and sleep”.
The device uses micro-technology and packs a lot into its slim, ultralight design. It is able to monitor heart rate as well as tracking the user’s active minutes, activity type, sleep duration, calories burned, distance and steps taken. Software includes an intuitive app, which establishes weekly goals and adjusts daily targets based on the user’s activity.
With a battery life of five days and a waterproof casing that allows for showering and swimming, Motiv Ring has been designed as a ‘wear-at-all-times’ device.
“Despite the rapid growth of – and innovation within – the wearable market, over half of those who buy a fitness tracker lose interest and discontinue use because current solutions are uncomfortable, unattractive and don’t provide truly meaningful insights,” says Mike Strasser, co-founder and CEO of Motiv.
fitness-kit.net keyword: MOTIV RING
NEW BALANCE & INTEL – RUNIQ
Sporting goods giant New Balance came to CES to showcase its first foray into the smart wearable market. Developed in partnership with some of the world’s leading tech firms – including Intel, Google and Strava – New Balance’s new RunIQ smartwatch was launched in tandem with PaceIQ wireless headphones, which can be paired with the watch using Bluetooth connectivity.
Specifically designed ‘for runners, by runners’, RunIQ aims to help users focus on their performance by keeping distractions to a minimum. Benefiting from strong processing power provided by Intel Inside technology, the watch features built-in GPS, heart rate monitor, lap button, interval capability and marathon distance battery life.
Through the collaboration with Strava, the waterproof RunIQ allows runners to upload and share workouts with Strava’s global community of athletes. The built-in GPS allows for course tracking, pace and distance measurement, while the heart rate feature monitors in real time. Runners can also sync, store and listen to Google Play Music from an Android phone and stay connected to smartphone notifications for on-the-go replies when connected to WiFi or Bluetooth.
Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel Corporation, says: “We’re reinventing the boundaries of computing to evolve the way people get fit, stay active and improve their performance. Our collaboration with New Balance brings to market a smartwatch with enhanced design and functionality, resulting in a smart and connected device for runners that makes amazing experiences possible.”
fitness-kit.net keyword: RUNIQ
TOMTOM SPORTS APP
Dutch GPS and navigation specialist TomTom was among the technology companies entering the fitness and sports tech sector at CES. Promising to bring “not just activity data, but insights and motivation”, the new TomTom Sports app promises to get people active by introducing motivational messages, activity trends, comparisons and performance stats “down to the second”.
TomTom Sports works with iOS4 and Android3 smartphones and supports a number of TomTom products – including TomTom Runner. The app also enables data sharing with a range of third-party platforms including Strava, Nike+, Endomondo, MapMyFitness and Runkeeper.
Co-created with a range of athletes and a panel of fitness app users, TomTom Sports is able to accurately track up to 12 different types of physical activity – ranging from running, cycling and swimming to skiing, trail running and hiking.
Users will be able to track their latest efforts and achievements, such as changes in body composition and resting heart rate, at a glance. It also offers a wide range of social sharing functions.
fitness-kit.net keyword: TOM TOM
BODYTRAK
Bodytrak is touted as the first device capable of implementing “precision physiological monitoring” using a simple earpiece. The small, non-invasive in-ear device can measure metrics such as core body temperature, heart rate, VO2 and motion (speed, distance, cadence). The data is then sent wirelessly to the user in real time via a smartphone, smart watch or internet hub.
With access to the inner ear – and being in close proximity to the brain – Bodytrak has been designed to detect changes in body physiology more rapidly and accurately than devices measuring levels from the peripheries of the body. By using miniature components, it also offers two-way communication, music playback and ambient sound transparency.
CEO Leon Marsh says that the device has relevance for a number of different sectors – such as military, healthcare and first response – but sport and fitness are among its key target markets. The first Bodytrak units are currently being trialled by a range of high-profile athletes across a number of different sports.
“Bodytrak exploits the only body site from which all vital signs can be measured,” says Marsh. “It’s been gold standard tested by leading universities, and we have trial partners across all target markets.”
Bodytrak is expected to be available to the public in summer 2017.
fitness-kit.net keyword: BODYTRAK
MISFIT VAPOR
Wearable tech specialist Misfit cleared the awards table at CES with its first ever touchscreen smartwatch. Vapor, which gobbled up no less than six awards at the show, features a heart rate monitor, built-in location services, music, GPS functionality, Bluetooth connectivity and “world-class fitness and sleep tracking”.
Boasting a 1.39-inch vibrant, circular touchscreen, Vapor is able to display tracking data and smartwatch apps directly, without the need for a separate smartphone. A virtual bezel allows the user to quickly navigate watchfaces and applications – as well as respond to notifications – without obscuring content on the screen.
The launch of Vapor is part of Misfit parent company Fossil Group’s plans to double its production of wearables to approximately 300 new products in 2017.
“Customers crave connectivity that doesn’t compromise style,” says Greg McKelvey, chief strategy and digital officer at Fossil Group. “We’re creating more options to seamlessly integrate desired tech features into our customers’ style and lifestyle.”
fitness-kit.net keyword: MISFIT VAPOR
POLAR TEAM PRO SHIRT
Finland-based sports technology company Polar introduced an entirely new wearable category to its growing portfolio of fitness kit at CES.
The Polar Team Pro Shirt is a smart workout shirt designed mainly for professional (or “very keen”) athletes.
The shirt integrates Polar’s heart rate technology directly onto the fabric and is the company’s first heart rate monitoring and GPS tracking apparel. The shirt is compatible with Polar’s Team Pro system, allowing athletes and coaches to gain insight into their effort, speed of recovery and other useful metrics.
The sleeveless, base-layer shirt replaces the need for a chest strap monitor by building two thin, unobtrusive heart rate capture points directly into the fabric. The sensors in the shirt can also broadcast training data to a coach’s iPad in real time.
“As a company with a deep heritage in team sports, we’re constantly working to evolve design and function in ways that will improve an athlete’s performance,” says Tom Fowler, president of Polar US. “Polar technology and products are, at their core, developed for the needs of professional athletes and coaches.
“As a result of our continued focus on improvement, we’ve reimagined the chest strap for professional athletes and developed Team Pro Shirt.”
fitness-kit.net keyword: POLAR
