Smart watches, fitness bands and other wrists --
At CES this year, devices based on wearable technology dominate. . . a bra.
In an ocean of electronics that is primarily aimed at men, there is a product that stands out because it is nothing but for women.
This sports bra called OMbra is a smart sports bra.
Created by the team OMsignal behind the Ralph Lauren Polo Tech shirt, it tracks the biological feature base you expect, including heart rate, distance, and calories consumed.
But there are also exclusive metrics that companies create, such as \"breathing rhythm\", to help you adjust your respiratory system and allow you to use less energy while running;
\"Fatigue\" measures that your body is in a state of cumulative fatigue based on previous training;
And \"biometric effort,\" it tells you how much effort you put into each run.
All of this syncs with your mobile device under the new OMrun platform, designed to help you improve efficiency and performance over time.
It also connects with other apps, including Apple Health, Strava, Nike, MapMyFitness, and Runtastic.
While these digital aspects of central, policy and this product are combined according to OMsignal
Founder and CEO Stephane Marceau made sure it was a comfortable and supportive outfit in the first place.
For example, important research has been carried out on bioengineering, focusing on details such as straps being the most common complaint in sports bras, the way a woman runs will change depending on how her breasts are supported.
I spoke to Marceau to learn more. . .
RA: What made you launch a wearable technology product for women, and how did you get to where you are today?
SM: as a company, we wanted to make products for two genders from the beginning.
In fact, we tried to do bras very early, but it was too difficult. as a company, we are not mature enough.
We made an early prototype where women thought aesthetics was not high enough.
So we \'ve been looking at men for years.
The logo for the launch of the smart shirt and the collaboration with Ralph Lauren above].
We have been working on OMbra production line for over a year and we have completed more than 1,600 prototypes along the way.
With a lot of effort from our team of experienced sports bra designers, scientists and engineers, we have solved a lot of problems.
Most importantly, in our research, we always go back to \"real\" women to make sure we get a product that resonates.
If you look at the wearable market from the start, it actually starts with the activity tracker, and women are pushing the app.
This is unusual because the new technology is usually driven by men.
In this case, women are buying, although to some extent, these products are similar to bulky gadgets.
I\'m doing a generalization here, but the product outside is what you put on your limbs and men like it better than women.
Therefore, we have done a lot of research on the psychology of wearable devices and found that men and women are of course very different.
Again, but women have a better understanding of how the body beats.
In terms of sports, they value feedback that can help them become better, while men tend to seek comparison with others.
We accept this view and the fact that women have been pushing [wearables]
Even though there is no product in this category that is really designed from a female perspective, this is what we are trying to do.
This is a very thoughtful way to serve women\'s products.
RA: Can you share more insights on the development of the bra itself?
SM: The main thing we are aware of is that the first dimension of the product we need to deal with during development is not a digital experience.
It\'s humbling for those from a technical background, and it\'s a big part of our team.
We must recognize that the first aspect of the product is comfort, support and aesthetics.
Only after that will we take the product experience to a whole new level.
From removable pad systems to different types of yarn, we spend a lot of time on the overall look and shape of the product.
In terms of comfort, the first issue mentioned is support, especially for larger cup sizes.
So a lot of time is focused on providing the right things for women, especially those who run regularly-it\'s about optimizing support and comfort.
Along the way, we learned a lot of terms, from \"single chest\" to \"unpleasant rebound \"!
The pressure to control the shoulder is the main one, so we designed a strap so that the pressure is not absorbed by the body, but by the bra.
It absorbs to one side, so it supports the whole shoulder.
It can also be adjusted to accommodate different fit changes this month.
The bra is also durable.
We have tested it for deep washability and washed it more than 100 times with no degradation of the signal.
And the same price as the high price. [End sports bra]
$149 at first
Up kit, which includes your first bra and the hardware module that comes with it, then $59 for each additional bra].
If you have this, plus digital magic, you ask yourself why you want to buy a \"stupid\" bra?
RA: What is your main focus when you bring \"digital magic?
SM: With the OMrun, we bring new indicators in terms of breathing patterns and so on.
We have adopted a very structured approach to achieve this goal.
We mapped the biometric patterns of 25 extreme runners, 25 medium runners, and 25 beginners, and we noticed that the most critical pattern is the way we breathe.
We combine these signals with heart rate and variability and measure what we call the economy in operation.
50% of your energy is breathing while you\'re running, so we\'ll teach you how to make breathing more effective.
With additional metrics, we can estimate your biometric work.
Since we do this in multiple runs, we can estimate how tired you are and start guiding you in the next run you can do.
We are getting interesting information that is only delivered as data through many other trackers and using that information to guide you to do better.
This is a good motivation.
It takes a while to see your body change in the mirror, but with it, you can see your progress in each run and workout.
Where do you think the future of the wearable technology market will go?
SM: most importantly, the word \"wearable\" will disappear.
At the moment, you put on OMbra and then stuck the hardware module on it.
What will happen in the next few years is that the hardware will disappear.
I\'m too simplistic, but when this happens, the biggest benefit is that the rest is the clothes, because we \'ve been wearing them all our lives, basically at the same price, but now they\'re smart.
A few years later, you can go to the store to buy a bra and shirt and you won\'t ask if it\'s connected as expected.
Clothes and textiles allow you to capture deeper biological signals; it’s self-
This is going to happen, obviously.
Many things have happened in conductive yarn and additive electronic products.
The smart textile sector is in the midst of an explosion, which will enable all of these capabilities to be realized in any type of general garment.
In addition to our own lives and bodies, we have all the information about our cars and other things in life.
This should be our basic expectation.
This is a very big-
Opportunity of scale.
It\'s about exercise now and the future is about health, but over time it\'s about monitoring and preventing heart failure and other health issues.
The future of wearable technology is about the disruption of the clothing industry, but it will have a greater impact on health care.