Two big sports brands, New Balance and Under Armour, launched innovative electronic applications at the big Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month, joining big names in sports wearables such as Fitbit and Garmin.
The Digital Sports Division of New Balance, formed in 2015, brought out its first smartwatch, called RunIQ, which has been developed in cooperation with Intel, Google and Strava. It was described as an item “made by runners for runners.” The company also presented a pair of bluetooth wireless sport headphones under its own brand, called PaceIQ, which can be integrated with the RunIQ to work as a training partner.
Mounted on Under Armour's running shoes, the applications of its Record device have been extended to measure muscular fatigue in real time. In an original departure from other electronics in the sports market, Under Armour presented at the CES an update of its Record app that includes a sleep coach.
Called Athlete Recovery Sleepwear, it features a pattern lining its garments that uses special bioceramic particles to absorb infrared wavelengths emitted by the body. The company said it was developed in collaboration with one of the brand's endorsing athletes, Tom Brady, to accelerate recovery time.
Interestingly, another exhibitor at the CES, Motiv, embedded a sleep tracking function in a small ring that replaces the classic wrist watch or bracelet as a fitness tracking wearable device.
Playsens presented a distance and navigation tracking application for swimmers, called Marlin, that provides real-time audio feedback, dispensing swimmers from looking at their wrists while they use their arms on the water.
Another application intended for sports and outdoor activities was brought to the CES by Ontracks, a French start-up, which enables runners or cyclists to find their way without having to constantly look at the screen of their watch or smartphone. It works with a mobile phone application and two wristbands: the band on the runner's right-hand wrist will vibrate if he has to turn right to follow the route he has chosen, while the left-hand wristband will vibrate if he has to turn left. The wristbands are also fitted with round displays that may provide extra indications.
The start-up was established last year by Philippe Leca, a former financial manager and eager mountain biker. He reckoned the system would be handy for various outdoor sports, when consumers want to remain focused on their activity and to enjoy the environment, without having to constantly stop to check directions. Ontracks also wanted to avoid voice guidance, which was deemed overly intrusive in the framework of an outdoor activity. The company points out that the system could be equally useful for urban cyclists, who have to remain focused on the traffic situation, or for tourists on outdoor or urban walking trails.
