Blade: get a real-time coach in your ear for running and fitness






The ear provides a great platform for tracking vitals data. In fact, earbuds, rather than watches, tend to be the most accurate heart-rate monitors, outperformed only by traditional chest straps. But you can get other data, too, as shown by a new Indiegogo campaign.
First announced at CES 2019, Blade are wireless earbuds that provide coaching advice for running and fitness. What makes these buds special is that in addition to basic data, they use a BiomechEngine and AI to evaluate motion.
This allows them to do some clever things such as letting you know in real-time if you should correct your running posture, change cadence or stride. Such information can help improve your running times and reduce the risk of injuries such as Runner’s Knee and hamstring issues.
The outfit has teamed up with Valencell, known for highly accurate heart rate sensor technology. The buds will monitor your ticker and let you know when a target heart rate zone has been reached.
Back at home you can sift through the plethora of data available in the Soul Fit app. In addition to info such as distance, pace, cadence, step count and a bunch of other metrics, you’ll receive an evaluation of running form and injury risk.
In terms of technical specs, the IPX7 water-rated earphones use Bluetooth 5.0 technology to enable faster data transfer and better sound quality. There’s a USB Type-C Charging Case with a fast charging function. This provides enough juice for up to 96 hours of training.
It’s not surprising the buds have generated so much interest amongst runners and fitness fanatics. They incorporate some nifty features which might help improve the way people train.
A few days in they’ve raised $100,000 on Indiegogo, which is well above the $30,000 goal. The buds start at $129, about a half of what they’ll sell when they go to market in October. The campaign closes in mid-April.
Price: $129 and up
Funding open:
$100,610 raised out of $30,000 goal
59 days left
Estimated delivery: October 2019
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