Compact, stick-on sensors that track sports performance certainly aren't a new thing, but they are becoming more functional and polished. The newest, ultra-light entry to the arena comes via a collaboration between wearables company Piq and French alpine specialist Rossignol, with a small sensor that straps onto ski boots to analyze your twists and turns as you tear down the slopes.
Like the Flaik, Yeti and Trace before it, the Piq sensor is designed to monitor the performance of extreme athletes. Packaged into a neat 44 x 38.3 x 5.4 mm (1.7 x 1.5 x 0.21 in) unit, Piq wraps around the ankle of skiers to measure speed, run duration, ascent, descent and some rather detailed info on jumps and turns.
The device connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0, with the companion app displaying a "Piq score" that breaks down particulars like edge-to-edge speed, g-force, carving degrees for turning, and rotation, air time and g-force at landing for jumps. These results can be shared with fellow Piq-wearing snow bunnies for a bit of friendly (or unfriendly) competition.
The device gathers its metrics through a gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer and pressure sensor. It weighs just 10 g (0.35 oz) and can be used for up to three hours on each charge. It is currently available for preorder and is priced at €149.00 (US$163).
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