Convergence (noun; con·ver·gence): The merging of distinct technologies, industries, or devices into a unified whole
We are witnessing a unique state of the convergence of technology and the rest of the world. Wearable technology is no longer limited to fitness bands. We are starting to see it across other products like apparel, player tracking, and even in the balls used in competition. “We are hitting a tipping point where the technology is small enough and wearables have become ubiquitous enough that they are able to converge with other markets,” explains Heather Andrus, Senior VP/GM product innovation, Radius Product Development.
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We will likely start seeing the technology less and less, but it will be seamlessly providing data on every aspect of our connected lives. We’ll no longer rely on just a fitness band to help us train smarter. We’ll have sensors in our fitness apparel and RFID chips in our equipment that provide the data and analytics to know how hard we are working, when we need to rest and what skills we need to focus on.
That was the topic of conversation at the first WITI Sports, Entertainment and Technology Symposium held at the Jabil Blue Sky Center in San Jose on March 31st . What is the future of wearables? Well, the answer is that wearables aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they’re going everywhere.
The convergence of wearables and other markets is seen in partnerships like the one the NFL struck with Zebra. In 2014, Zebra won the contract to be ‘The Official On-Field Player Tracking Provider’ of the NFL. For the last two seasons, Zebra has put RFID chips in each player’s shoulder pads, in the chains, and on the referees. They are even testing it in the ball. Receivers in each stadium collect data from the chips and send it to the broadcast booth in under half a second and to the NFL cloud in two seconds. Jill Stelfox, VP & GM, Location Solutions, Zebra, explains that in 168 games in 2014, 68 billion bytes of data were collected. “That’s more statistical data in one time than had been collected all-in’ says Stelfox. She goes on to tell me, ‘in 2015, we were in every stadium including Wembley, and measured every game from the pre-season to the Super Bowl and collected 180 billion bytes of position data.”
The NFL has taken a fan-first approach with this data, giving access to the data to broadcast partners first. Tracking player movements and speed in real-time enhances live game broadcasts, giving the announcers more statistics and analysis than ever before to feed the stat-hungry fanbase. Fans also have more data on which to run their fantasy football teams and video game makers will be able to use the data to make the players even more real.
While broadcast partners received that data in real-time the last two seasons, the NFL is sharing the data from the 2015 season with teams in the coming months. Accurate player coverage throughout the entire game will give teams the ability to make data-informed decisions. Teams will have full-game statistics on each of their players and will definitively know the schematics of a coach or the tendencies of an offense. And for the first time, teams can have data on the linemen – how quickly do they get off the line? When a defensive lineman gets tired, where is he most successful?
With regards to the teams having access to the data, Stelfox is quick to add, though, that the data doesn’t replace the human spirit, the drive to improve and succeed. “We can’t measure that, the person still needs to make a decision, but now you have data to inform that decision,” she says.
The convergence is also seen in companies like Athos, who develops smart fitness apparel that has integrated sensors to detect muscle movement. Taking technology that has been used for years in clinics and labs to the field, Athos partnered with Jabil to build functional, usable, and beautiful fitness apparel. It’s another example of seeing the wearable technology less and less – Athos apparel has twelve sensors embedded in the compression shirt and eight in the compression pants that sit directly atop muscles plus hear rate monitors in both garments. I was able to see the apparel, and other than the Core, the palm-sized monitor that tracks the data from the sensors, the technology is virtually undetectable.
Julie Desjardins, Head of Research at Athos, says that they are trying to move from a tech company to an apparel company. She explains, “we want people to know that you are wearing Athos, but not because there are wires sticking out of your shirt or because you are showing everyone your mobile device … it is because you are performing better and you are wearing some really hot clothes.” Andrus adds that this is where the convergence gets really hard, saying “there’s great technology and great apparel, but where they come together is super difficult.” Athos is tackling that super difficult space with grace.
The sensors collect data when your muscles generate electricity each time they are engaged. Then the Core, the monitor that you slip into your Athos top and bottom, tracks that data from the sensors and sends it to the mobile app where the raw data is visualized. You can see muscles lighting up in real-time and get metrics on what muscles are being engaged, how balanced you are in a particular exercise, and assess your form. You can also use the data to know when you are pushing yourself hard enough and when you should rest. Desjardins told me that you have an ‘aha’ moment when you wear the apparel and the data shows you how much your body is working. She notes, “especially for athletes, when they see it and feel it, it’s very motivating and enables them to work smarter and be more thoughtful about what their doing and our product enables that.”
Data from wearable technology is changing the landscape for athletics and wellness. First came fitness bands to track our physical activity. Now that the technology is proven to work, it’s gaining attention from a lot of players and more money is being spent in the market. Battery life will continue to improve, the wearables will become smaller and smaller and we are seeing a convergence with other industries like location solutions and apparel to provide even more data about performance and activity. While we may not see the technology as much, we will be analyzing every move we make. So it’s not a question of whether wearables are a fad or here to stay, the real question is where will this new access to data lead athletics and wellness?