Wearable devices like heart-rate monitors, GPS and RFID trackers, ECG and EMG sensors can record just about every key biometric indicator of an athlete’s training load—except hydration. Thirst and urine color are helpful guides, but an objective assessment of hydration level has remained elusive.
Nobo is seeking to fill that gap with its B60 wearable and will make its case as one of five finalists in the NFL’s 1st & Future pitch competition on Saturday, which is sponsored by Arrow Electronics and hosted by Georgia Tech. Founder and CEO Russ Rymut said Nobo can determine if an athlete is dehydrated, over-hydrated, or a healthy level in between. He described the basic principle as analogous to “a conventional pulse oximeter, the finger clip that you see people wearing in the hospital.”
“We’re shining several different wavelengths of light into the body and measuring how much of that light is absorbed,” Rymut added. “Based on that, we can estimate how much fluid is actually in the tissues as well as compensate for other body factors—how much body fat and muscle mass and those kinds of things.”
Rymut is a veteran engineer of medical technologies with experience at the biomedical subsidiaries of GE and Honeywell. Wisconsin-based startup Nobo debuted at CES in 2016 but remains in development and validation stages. Rymut said the plan is to begin team trials this year, focusing initially on working with local college athletic departments.
Among previous 1st & Future winners are helmet companies Windpact and Impressio, which both use innovative padding systems to protect the wearer. Windpact CEO and former NFL player Shawn Springs is one of the eight judges for this year’s 1st & Future competition. The other four finalists are Solius, TackleBar, TendoNova, and TopSpin. (There are also four finalist teams in a data-driven contest to reduce injuries during punts.)
Tracking hydration through technology has proven challenging, although Sports Innovation Lab notes that progress is being made. Dehydration is obviously a concern for all athletes, but the NFL’s summertime training camps featuring long full-equipment practices are especially a pain point. The genesis of Rymut’s idea, however, came from a very different demographic.
In 2008, Rymut’s mother was serving as a caretaker for a couple in their 80s. She believed that the couple was suffering from dehydration, and that this was worsening their health problems. Doctors would have benefited from an objective hydration test.
“I got to thinking about her observation and realized there really was no good way to quantitatively measure fluid balance in an individual,” Rymut said.
He started working on the idea at night and over weekends, buying parts from eBay for his first prototype. Rymut incorporated the company and filed a patent application in 2011. He quit his day job at the end of 2014 to focus on Nobo. Rymut remains the only full-time employee, although he now has three other contributing team members.
Given his background and the idea’s inspiration, Rymut sees applications for Nobo in health care as well as work safety, especially for those laboring in harsh environments. College and pro sports represent a sizable sector as well, and can help market the product to dedicated amateur athletes.
“We’ve gotten a ton of great feedback from lots of weekend warrior athletes, especially distance runners and triathletes who love the idea of being able to, in real time, measure their hydration levels so the can ingest their fluid intake correctly,” Rymut said.