There’s no doubt about it, training for a sporting goal is hard work. Our lives are getting busier and busier, so not only is finding the hours in the day a struggle, but so is using this limited time as effectively as possible. Without the advice of experts, doing so is extremely challenging.
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However, the gap between the experts and the masses seems to be narrowing. Thanks to breakthroughs in wearable technology, the scope for self-coaching is progressing by the day. IOFIT is the latest example, by offering smart-shoes which use a combination of pressure sensors and a mobile app to allow people to coach themselves.
Uses for the shoes will be focussed on general fitness routines and perfecting golf swings, and will monitor aspects such as centre of gravity and weight distribution. The shoes transmit the sensor’s readings to the app to be analyzed, where feedback will then be given for improvement in terms of posture and balance.
The technology was developed by Salted Venture, a Samsung-supported start-up, and will be demonstrated at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week. Samsung’s role in the development must be duly noted, as Salted Venture formed through their C-labs initiative, a system which helps employees develop ideas into businesses.
Train smarter and coach better with #IOFIT smart shoes, debuting globally at #MWC2016 https://t.co/pv3qCgoVis pic.twitter.com/QoRHWj5qdp
— Samsung Electronics (@SamsungNewsroom) February 15, 2016
Fitness coaches won’t be going into hiding just yet, though. COO Sehee Lee hopes to use IOFIT in tandem with conventional coaching, which he sees as indispensable. “We want to be a platform and a coaching tool for people to use. It’s an add-on to the interactive experience between people. “You can’t outweigh the benefits that come from a real human-to-human interactive experience.”
Competitors will include established trainer companies, as well as the host of companies continuously rolling out similar wearable technology. So when will you be seeing people wearing these? No release date or price has yet been set, but Salted Venture are understanding that they face a tough market. As a result, they have admitted to looking into the possibility of embedding the technology into other brand’s trainers.
Whether you realize it or not, you might start seeing these on the streets very soon. The wearables market is booming, and with the backing of Samsung, Salted Venture certainly has a springboard for IOFIT.