Wearables these days have been all the rage. Every weekend warriors wants to measure their progress and compete with their friends over who can walk the most steps, run the most miles or burn the most calories. But what does that all really mean? It is easy to track your progress on an elementary level, but more than likely you are not getting the most out of your personal workout device.
A new wearable is trying to bridge that gap.
The XBand Speed Pro Acceleration and Agility Trainer is a three-piece system that measures speed, acceleration and velocity profiles with accuracy comparable to expensive laser systems. Unlike most other fitness gadgets, this one is for athletes to get the data they need to improve their performance. It serves as a personal sports coach in a box that allows you to capture easily digestible information including speed and agility metrics straight to your smartphone and use the data to evaluate and improve your game, no matter which sport is yours of choice.
Aspiring athletes will have a new way to access personal coaching at affordable prices. And the vision XBand has for crossover in sports and social networking is unlike anything to date.
To contribute to the XBand KickStarter page, you can do so here.
The Speed Pro Agility and Acceleration Trainer is looking to be the future of wearable technology in training for sports that require acceleration, speed and agility. With an affordable price, athletes from any financial background can now improve their game without paying thousands of dollars for private coaching sessions and have access to performance data, analytics and coaching. They are looking to bring the capabilities of multi-million dollar training facilities and equipment within the reach of every aspiring athlete and provide access to valuable coaching 24/7 whenever and wherever you practice.
The device uses a microwave sensor, accelerometer and the Speed Pro precisely measures and transmits key performance data to a smartphone app as an athlete or average joe trains. Speed Pro allows the user to store and track their performance data and analytics on the web that can be accessed from the app or via a PC. It’s aims to be the user’s best tool and biggest advocate as they train hard to improve their time and fitness.
Here are the main ways the XBand can improve an athlete’s performance according to their KickStarter page:
Precision:
Precise to a prospective NFL defensive back or receiver can be several million dollars. While the average athlete won’t go on to be NFL players the 0.23 seconds is how much error a human timer can introduce into a race time. That’s why the NFL uses an electronic system to time the athletes at their combine. If a user is trying to work on their 40 time, their time from home to first base, or other short sprints (even up to 200 meters), they already know that getting 0.23 seconds better is a big deal. This is the first and most basic way that Speed Pro can help athletes with its extremely accurate timing.
Speed:
To get faster, one needs to analyze your time. How long did it take you to reach your maximum speed? Using Speed Pro model as your guide, you can experiment with your technique. If you try taking shorter steps, does that get you to your maximum speed faster? Does it improve your overall time? Speed Pro gets down to the details of your performance, allowing fine tuning in the areas that will make you an explosive athlete.
Quickness:
A basic skill needed for the vast majority of sports is the ability to react quickly. The Speed Pro helps you assess your reaction time and its improvement over time. First, you can compare how you do in a race start versus an automatic start. You can also do a “race start,” where Speed Pro will provide the time between when the module signaled you to go and when you actually reacted. By running lots of short races and getting Speed Pro’s precise, accurate feedback, you’ll get the repetition and feedback you need to improve.
The Different Variations of the XBand:
Arm Module:
Wear it on your arm or clip on your clothing and select what kind of start you prefer: manual, auto-detect, or simulated race start. You can choose your own start with the manual setting. The Body Module sense your start with the auto-detect setting or practice your race starts with the simulated race start mode to have the unit sound the starter signal. This piece captures the raw performance data from your run.
Finish Line Module:
The Marker or Finish Line Module is placed at the end of the run or sprint and captures finish times at 0.01 second resolution with accuracy comparable to laser systems that costs thousands of dollars. This module contains the processor and memory to analyze and turn the raw data into performance profiles. It then transmits your performance data and profiles to your smartphone.
Speed Pro App:
With the XBand Sports mobile app, you can view and analyze your performance data on your smartphone (iOS and Android smartphones). Below is an example of the performance analytics that will be available to help profile an athlete practicing short distance sprints. The detailed analysis as well as coaching tips based on your individual performance is directly available from your smartphone. The app accesses the analytic engine that resides in the XBand Sports web site, where it will continue to grow and improve over time.
Measuring Your Progress:
The vision at XBand Sports is provide app and web based services where athletes can store and share their data. This allows athletes to compare their performances against teammates, other athletes and even other world-class athletes. Coaches, scouts and other players will eventually be able to see their performance information on the XBand Sports leaderboard or connect with them through the app or web site. The app is well on its way to being complete.
We will be looking forward to tracking XBand’s progress. To contribute to their KickStarter page, you can do so here.
More specifics provided straight from XBand:
Exactly what information does Speed Pro provide?
The precise time it takes to reach a set distance: you can be running from home to first base, home to home, dribbling a soccer ball in a cone drill or running the length of the basketball court – you name it. You set the distance and the event using the Finish Line (Marker) Module. If your activity takes you past the finish line module multiple times, you can even use it to give you “split times.” Your time, distance and speed profiles to help you understand exactly how you are performing in your race… how long to reach your top speed, what is the average speed, do you maintain your top speed to finish line? Pinpoint where you’ve got to train harder to beat your opponent. Acceleration and agility profile – How quickly are you able to go from stand still to top speed? How quickly do you react to a start signal? When do you reach maximum acceleration? Speed Pro can provide data and analytics to answer all of these questions precisely and in real time.
How accurate is the XBand system?
The Speed Pro Agility and Acceleration Trainer captures race times to a resolution of 1/100th of a second, and has accuracy comparable to the laser based system often used in professional sporting events. So, our assessment is that it’s incredibly accurate, but we hope you’ll be the judge!
How does the coaching part work?
The analytics engine breaks down the individual performance data and compares it to that of others in the XBand Sports database. It gauges your performance against comparable groups as well as other reference groups – professionals and other world-class athletes – to highlight areas of strength and weakness. The coaching analytics then help you identify a set of drills and exercises to further improve your areas of strength and shore up areas of weakness
What type of batteries does the system use and how long does it last?
The Speed Pro Agility and Acceleration Trainer uses 4 AA batteries for the Finish Line module and a single CR2032 battery for the body module. The batteries last for over 360 hours in normal operations, which would consist of 2 hours of training events, 3 days a week.
What added features come in a Coach or School Pack?
Our coach and school packages offer functionality for team training. With just one system, coaches and schools would only get a fraction of the results that they can get from the larger packages.
With a school package, there are enough modules to go around. They’ll also be capable of being used in multi-leg races when marker modules are placed at different distances from each other.
In addition to the extra functionality, we are adding school/team specific identifiers to the coach and school systems for added customization and as a theft deterrent. We’ll even pre-configure and pair the units so that coaches and athletic directors do not have to set up and configure each unit separately!