Did you resolve to workout more this year? If you’re like many, that resolution didn’t last.
One way to improve and strengthen your resolve is to track your workouts. But manually tracking sessions is messy. How many drills were done? What weights were used? How well did you perform the exercises? Should any adjustments be made?
To help, PureCarbon has created IoT-enabled Delta Gloves. They help you keep your exercise resolutions and improve your workouts.
The Delta Gloves
The challenge with monitoring exercise workouts is that they require small sensors with low power requirements and the ability to work without connectivity. PureCarbon’s Delta Gloves use piezoresistive sensors, Bluetooth and advanced data analytics to track weights lifted, exercises performed and the number of reps performed.
The Delta Gloves use the Intel® Curie™ for its small form factor, low-power needs, motion sensors and BLE communication capability. Its pattern-matching capabilities are optimized for fast identification of actions and motions.
How the gloves sense weight
Sensors in the palm and fingertips of the gloves measure the weight being used. They have a layered printed circuit that incorporates piezoresistive ink, which changes the level of electrical resistance based on the pressure exerted by the weight being lifted on the gloves.
PureCarbon Measuring movement
The motion data collected is both directional (acceleration in three dimensions using an accelerometer) and rotational (velocity around three directional axes using a gyroscope). The gloves measure subtle pressure changes in milliseconds.
Recognizing exercise being performed
Weight data is recorded and cross-referenced with motion data that shows how a weight is being lifted. This indicates how each hand is moving in three-dimensional space. Sensors are printed on both the palm and fingertips of the gloves to help determine of the type of exercise being done. For example, a hammer curl has a different motion pressure signature points than a bicep curl.
PureCarbon Tracking the quality of exercise
People tire as they workout, and the quality of their exercising suffers. Delta Gloves measure pressure data through the course of an exercise, indicating changes in the quality of the workout. This identifies the weight being used and the exercise being performed.
Data capture and analysis
Sensor data is pre-processed by “pucks” on the gloves using the Intel Curie module, which has a robust processor and integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Data is transmitted to the user’s mobile phone for further analysis.
Delta Gloves can work without an internet connection, as sensor data is analyzed locally on the Delta Puck and a mobile app. Future extensions are planned that will use an internet connection to enable personal trainers and therapists analyze the exercises being performed and offer suggestions when needed.
Remote workout coaching
Remote, real-time monitoring of exercising creates the opportunity for personal trainers to provide guidance to multiple clients. Detailed workout logs enable improvements to be tracked and exercise adjustments to be made as needed. Having to go to a gym to get personal coaching may become optional.
A recent survey reported that the odds of keeping workout resolutions were only about 60 percent. To improve the odds of keeping your workout resolutions, take a look at the Delta Gloves funding campaign underway on Indiegogo.
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