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Smart clothing collects data
By STU PIDDINGTON - The Timaru Herald
Last updated 05:00 06/02/2010
Fairlie-based business i-Rule is continuing to push the boundaries in its development of innovative sportswear.
Two years ago, it was focusing on real-time collection of exercise performance data. Then, it was a "Exporter of the Year" finalist for its leading-edge product development.
The company had produced a state-of-the-art $2000 shirt but it required radio frequency technology and worked only via line-of-sight.
But with better and cheaper technology, i-Rule has released Sputnik, a $200 merino top that collects exercise performance data to a mobile phone.
The slashing of the price means the sensor-filled shirts are within the price range of non-elite athletes.
I-Rule founder Daryl Foy said the shirts provided the wearer with the ability to publish the data to Facebook for graphic analysis, management and sharing with friends, other athletes and coaches.
Foy said the new shirts could be used with any handset that has GPRS, Bluetooth 2.0 and Java support.
"We have done all of our product on Nokia handsets as we have found them to be the best all-round device."
The dramatic fall in the cost of the shirts is due to the fact the price of the sensors used have tumbled.
Foy said the new pricing allowed far more athletes to use the technology.
"We have made it really simple to use and upload.
"It has to be, really, as we don't have support centres in Egypt or the Philippines and we want people to come back and buy again."
I-Rule has already signed up one top multi-sport athlete for the new product, with 2007 Coast-to-Coast winner Fleur Pawsey using it to help with her race preparations.
Foy also sees a new target market in friends checking or challenging each other using the social network site like Facebook.
Both Foy and Barbara Fridd helped designed the product, which is manufactured in South Canterbury.
Foy said it was offered as either a merino or technical synthetic tank top although they could produce any style short or long sleeves on request.
"The mobile phone is carried in our best-selling, ergonomic multi-sport shorts."
Never one to stand still, Foy and his team are already working on Sputnik Pro.
"We are small so have no choice but to push boundaries."
The next step will allow MapMyFitness integration. That phase of the product will allow users to map and visually share their runs and efforts, concise caloric management and music sync with editable playlists for specific runs and events.
After that and in time for Christmas 2010 Foy hopes to have his Cosmic range, which will add in respiration rate, skin temperature and an anaerobic threshhold, with alerts.
By STU PIDDINGTON - The Timaru Herald
Last updated 05:00 06/02/2010
Fairlie-based business i-Rule is continuing to push the boundaries in its development of innovative sportswear.
Two years ago, it was focusing on real-time collection of exercise performance data. Then, it was a "Exporter of the Year" finalist for its leading-edge product development.
The company had produced a state-of-the-art $2000 shirt but it required radio frequency technology and worked only via line-of-sight.
But with better and cheaper technology, i-Rule has released Sputnik, a $200 merino top that collects exercise performance data to a mobile phone.
The slashing of the price means the sensor-filled shirts are within the price range of non-elite athletes.
I-Rule founder Daryl Foy said the shirts provided the wearer with the ability to publish the data to Facebook for graphic analysis, management and sharing with friends, other athletes and coaches.
Foy said the new shirts could be used with any handset that has GPRS, Bluetooth 2.0 and Java support.
"We have done all of our product on Nokia handsets as we have found them to be the best all-round device."
The dramatic fall in the cost of the shirts is due to the fact the price of the sensors used have tumbled.
Foy said the new pricing allowed far more athletes to use the technology.
"We have made it really simple to use and upload.
"It has to be, really, as we don't have support centres in Egypt or the Philippines and we want people to come back and buy again."
I-Rule has already signed up one top multi-sport athlete for the new product, with 2007 Coast-to-Coast winner Fleur Pawsey using it to help with her race preparations.
Foy also sees a new target market in friends checking or challenging each other using the social network site like Facebook.
Both Foy and Barbara Fridd helped designed the product, which is manufactured in South Canterbury.
Foy said it was offered as either a merino or technical synthetic tank top although they could produce any style short or long sleeves on request.
"The mobile phone is carried in our best-selling, ergonomic multi-sport shorts."
Never one to stand still, Foy and his team are already working on Sputnik Pro.
"We are small so have no choice but to push boundaries."
The next step will allow MapMyFitness integration. That phase of the product will allow users to map and visually share their runs and efforts, concise caloric management and music sync with editable playlists for specific runs and events.
After that and in time for Christmas 2010 Foy hopes to have his Cosmic range, which will add in respiration rate, skin temperature and an anaerobic threshhold, with alerts.
