Nike is not just another company producing shoes and athletic apparel, rather they are very much keen to help and encourage athletes in every way possible. Nike proves once again that the multinational company is also into technology; especially the ones that help motivate its loyal athletes to perform better.
It has always been in the process of developing ways to keep a track or measure "athletic movement and activity" of its clients and now the company is pinning hopes of achieving just that on a newly granted patent that is titled "monitoring fitness using a mobile device".
According to the patent the main purpose of the device will be to motivate athletes to be physically fit and ready by maintaining a regular exercise program. Nike, however, points out that it is going to be an extremely difficult task, as it is not easy to stay motivated while doing repetitive motions and routines. The fact that workout information needs to be manually input or that tracking progress can become too complicated can also affect one's motivation to workout.
According to the patent, the device can monitor the vital stats of the player. The Wireless Vitals Tracker is supposed to be placed within the shoe of the athlete. Bluetooth Low Energy or BLE devices then connect the wireless contraption to a computer which processes the data collected. A GUI is then utilized to display the data and help coaches and trainers monitor the players in real-time.
The patent was filed by Nike on 24 October, last year, and it was approved on 9 February. Nike has named its inventors as Michael T. Hoffman, Kwamina Crankson, Jason Nims, Michael L. Orenstein, and Kristen L. White.
The company is now poised to incorporate more advanced technology in its products. As it has already released a smartwatch before, which keeps track of the runner's vitals and performance while also helping the users organize their run schedules and other features. Also, the multinational corporation has collaborated with Apple in releasing the Apple Watch Nike+ late last year.
Another recent use of technology in one of Nike's products, is the self-lacing Nike sneakers reminiscent of the one worn by Michael J. Fox's character in the Back to the Future film.
