Artificial intelligence has been making its way into sports wearables thanks to PiQ Sport Intelligence. Now it has teamed with Everlast, the world leader in boxing gear, to bring its technology to boxing. Three months after making its debut at CES 2017, PiQ has announced the availability of the PiQ Robot, heralded as “the first wearable specifically designed for Core boxing and Fitness boxing.” If you’re in the U.S. or in Europe, you can now grab the new product for $99 on everlast.com, piq.com, and in various retail locations.
Using the PiQ Robot device, boxers can tap into the hive mind of thousands of boxers and millions of motions. The motion-capture algorithm measures and tracks each and every movement of every user, constantly updating the optimal form. Microscopic variations in boxing movements are picked up by the device, making it ideal for workouts and training.
“Athletes in other sports have been using data to train smarter for years,” says Chris Zoller, director of marketing and design for Everlast. “We’re excited to work with PiQ to bring wearable technology to the sport of boxing. The PiQ platform has the ability to provide true measurable training insight, something we feel will help boxers perform their best.”
The benefits are made even more clear when boxers connect the PiQ Robot to their smartphone. They can see the strength and speed of their punches, and determine their strength levels. These factors can then be leveraged in order to improve performance.
To secure the PiQ Robot to a boxer’s hand, Everlast has created a strap that wraps around the wrist to ensure a secure fit. Better yet, the device and the strap are designed to fit perfectly underneath a pair of boxing gloves. This way, they don’t impact performance negatively.
Article originally published in January. Updated on 4-13-2017 by Lulu Chang: Added news of PiQ and Everlast availability in the U.S. and Europe.
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