LEOMO Inc. unveiled a new wearable technology that allows competitive cyclists, triathletes and coaches to look at motion analysis while in real-world conditions. Where most motion analysis is done in a lab or in a studio, TYPE-R will allow athletes to work in their natural day-to-day training environment.
The TYPE-R device offers insights that can optimize the athlete’s form, technique and performance, and it is scheduled to launch in the U.S. in the summer.
“Competitive athletes want to use their bodies better – and we want to help them,” Kunihiko Kaji, CEO and co-founder of LEOMO, said in a statement. “For the first time, the TYPE-R will bring the power of motion analysis out of the lab and into their world, filling a void that’s currently missing in their arsenal.”
TYPE-R is a handlebar- or wrist-mounted touchscreen that features include GPS tracking and rechargeable Bluetooth sensors that are worn on each shoe to measure motion and form. Sensors are also worn above each knee and above the sacrum on the lower back. It also has ANT+, a system that measures additional power, balance power and heart rate.
“TYPE-R offers insights into the movement that generates the power, not just the power itself,” USA Cycling vice president of athletics Jim Miller said in a statement. “And unlike video analysis, which is very subjective, the data is objective and real to the dynamics of an athlete’s motion.”
When the device is synced with WiFi, data can then be uploaded to the cloud and analyzed on a web-based dashboard. The first device is made for cyclists and triathletes, and Kaji said the company has its sights set on expanding to running and swimming in the future.
LEOMO is also looking to validate that TYPE-R can offer benefits in identifying, responding to and avoiding injuries and has partnered with sports medicine and biomechanics researchers to conduct studies that compare riders’ form and motion with their glycogen use to show efficiency with varying body positions, workloads, and durations.
What does TYPE-R mean? “R” = “Race.” Who knows what the future holds, but we chose to start with a focus on race level training. #KnowLEOMO
— Leomo (@leomolabs) March 13, 2017