Since the 1980s keeping fit has become an ever more popular pursuit and these days, the diversity of fitness programs is truly breath-taking and increasingly high tech. With a prototype created by an avant-garde Seattle design lab, exercise looks set to become positively futuristic. Along similar lines to the MotivePro vibrating suit we looked at last week, Move, designed by Electric Foxy, a company that develops wearable technology, is a kind of sensorial tank top that monitors movements during exercise to help people improve their performance, with particular emphasis on movement precision.
- The result looks like something lifted from the sleek science fiction movie Gattaca. It includes sensors that are placed all over the garment. With the help of haptic pieces placed on hips and shoulders, information about the wearer's movements is fed back to the application, which then assesses it, and makes necessary adjustments customized to the user. The user receives "nudges" that tell them which part of the body needs adjustment. The application creates a timeline of the performance so that the user can visualize progress over time.
There is also a social networking aspect to the equipment, as the application allows users to share their performance details and get advice and encouragement from friends and experts.
There are several types of exercise that the Move app can be used to improve, especially yoga and Pilates, but also golf, baseball and physiotherapy. Designer Jennifer Darmour adds that expressive movements such as hip hop, modern dance and ballet can also be improved with Move.
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