Former Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) engineer Nikola Hu, along with Meng Li and Tony Yuan, are developing a new workout tracker called the Moov that doesn’t just tell you how fast your heart is beating or how long your strides are, but can give the kind of detailed feedback that you would normally need a personal trainer or a camera to capture, reports Jordan Crook for TechCrunch.
9-axis sensors record 3D movement
A simple pedometer uses an inertial sensor to detect steps, and more complicated exercise trackers have additional technology to detect heart rate, speed, and more. But the Moov has a 9-axis sensor that records three dimensional movement data and sends it to your smartphone where it is compared with what you are supposed to be doing. Depending on your goals (distance, weight loss, speed) the app will give you advice on what needs to be adjusted. It can also detect problems in your stride that might lead to injuries and warn you about them before problems start to appear.
“I see it as my AI coach who not only tracks my moves, but works out with me in real-time: watches out for me on how to avoid injuries; whispers to me the secrets of losing weight while I do cardio; yells at me when I cheat; and encourages me to beat the pros,” said Li.
Multiple Moovs could be in your future
The Moov isn’t just limited to running either. Right now it can be used cardio boxing (worn on the wrist of course), cycling and swimming and the team has plans to include more sports as they go along. Although they haven’t it brought it up yet, one of the obvious extensions of the idea is to wear multiple sensors (one on each wrist while boxing, for example) so that the app can analyze the full picture. Coordinating multiple sensors might be a challenge, but if the Moov picks up the demand will eventually be there. Considering how avidly some people already record the number of steps they take every day, there doesn’t seem to be a limit on how much data people want to record about their activities.
The Moov team is holding its own crowdfunding page instead of going through Kickstarter, supposedly to be closer to their supporters but avoiding the 5% fee that Kickstarter charges successful projects is probably a consideration as well. They’re looking to raise $40,000 to ship out the first 650 units at $59 apiece.
