Wearables

Electrode-embedded suit claims to intensify any workout

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The Antelope suit boosts muscle activity while you exercise
The Antelope suit boosts muscle activity while you exercise
The lightweight smart clothing can be worn for almost any activity
A Kickstarter campaign is about to get underway to get the prototype to the production stage
The Antelope suit being developed at Wearable Life Science
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A new wearable suit called the Antelope uses muscle-targeting electrodes to increase the intensity of your gym workouts and other types of exercise. Wearable Life Science, the German startup behind the suit, says 20 minutes of exercise using the Antelope could be as effective and beneficial as three hours of activity without it.

That's a bold claim to make but the Wearable Life Science pitch is an impressive one. Rather than simply recording and reporting fitness-related data, as is the case with many current wearables, the Antelope actually does something with the gathered information. The suit focuses on repeatedly stimulating different muscles depending on the type and intensity of your exercise. These pulses mimic prompts given by the brain to flex the muscles.

The smart garments are based around the same kind of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) technology that's extensively used in physiotherapy to prod muscles into action. Usain Bolt is among the athletes known to have used EMS clothing in the past and the Antelope suit isn't the first wearable to use this approach, so it's a technology that's gaining momentum.

The lightweight smart clothing can be worn for almost any activity

The Antelope is thin, light and wire-free and shouldn't interfere with any kind of exercise, whether that's a boxing session in the gym or several miles of cycling. It's that portability that really makes the Antelope series of smart clothing stand out. Because everything is included in your clothing, you can take it anywhere you go, with no cumbersome dongles or wires to worry about.

A water-resistant Antelope Booster unit paired to an iOS/Android smartphone running a companion app via Bluetooth is used to control the impulses and adjust the settings during a workout. It's built-in rechargeable battery is reported sufficient to support up to 4 hours of exercising. The app, which will be available to Blackberry and Windows Phone users in the near future, also provides feedback on workouts and enables users to set their fitness goals as required.

Wearable Life Science has just won an award at an international sports business exhibition in Munich, but it's still early days for the Antelope. A Kickstarter campaign is about to get underway to bring the prototype to the production stage, which should provide more details. As of writing, pricing for the Antelope suit has not been revealed.

You can view the Antelope launch video below.

Source: Wearable Life Science

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5 comments
Kevin Ritchey
I thought of adding TENS technology to body wear some time ago but did not know how to write a proper algorithm in order to properly process the correct timing for the electronic response. Perhaps utilizing sensors alongside the emitter pads would aid in receiving proper feedback so that the system amplification would be more accurate than in this suit. Plus, most people to benefit from such a suit do not look like male models so sizing becomes an issue, particularly as results change the bodies shape and dimensions. Any takers want to help on Kickstarter for our own version?
StWils
Kevin has a point about the male model issue but additionally the appearance needs to be visually a lot more low key. I get the need to feature this for the Kickstarter ad but as shown this is far too silly looking, no matter how functional or effective. Anyone running around dressed like this would have to have a gigantic amount of self confidence to stare down the giggling.
Tommy Maq
"wearable suit"
What an odd phrase - Is there another kind?
DonGateley
This could be especially useful for toning in sedentary situations.
Mark Keller
Well, you could probably wear it under other workout gear if you get self conscious.