Another massive, 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, Consumer Electronics Show has come to a close.
As always, it didn’t disappoint in grabbing headlines from stories of incredible immersive VR & AR experiences, to robots and drone-style personal aerial vehicles. Some of the major themes of this years’ show were: smart-driving cars, smart home (Amazon Alexa is everywhere), drones & robots, 8K TVs (just in case your 4K TV was not up to par), artificial intelligence and virtual & augmented reality.
For health, wellness and fitness technology professionals and enthusiasts, Tech Westand Eureka Park at the Sands Expo Center was THE place to be.
A couple exciting products at the Sands vying for the dollars of fitness center owners, were ICAROS and ShapeLog.
ICAROS, from Munich based Icaros GmbH, is a fitness device and VR game controller in one. From a plank-like position, you lean and tilt your body to control and determine the flight path or diving path within the VR game. It sounds pretty easy, but it does take a bit of a workout not to crash. ICAROS is fittingly marketed as, “A system to fly through virtual worlds, play games and exercise the body at the same time”.
ShapeLog, who refers to themselves as “the fitbit for the weight room”, is a smart handle and tracker that attaches to the cable of selectorized weight machines. Capturing over 180 data points per second, the devices and software track and show individuals their progress, along with making recommendations for reaching their goals.
One of the biggest takeaways from CES is what gym owners and trainers will see members wearing both inside and outside the gym.
“Smart” everything, including wearable devices, clothing, headphones and even water bottles, is continuing to be one of the fastest growing segments of fitness.
Increasingly smart sensors and clothing such as Sensoria Artifical Intelligence Sportswear, not only captures heart rate, speed, pace and cadence, there is “Sensoria Virtual Coach” within the app. This provides real-time feedback through audio and video cues during your run. E-Skin by Xenoma, claims their shirt enables the user to monitor motion, breathing, pressure, body temperature and other functions for monitoring and improving form.
Smart headphones made their introduction at CES this year. Kuai, who raised $260,783 last March on Indiegogo, markets their smart headphones with sensors, voice feedback and training plans to help achieve your fitness goals.
Rounding out a few of the smart devices gym owners and trainers may see in the gym throughout 2017, is Moikit. This smart water bottle claims to monitor hydration and will help remind you when to drink.
Without a doubt, technology will be a disruptive force in health and fitness in the coming years. Fitness equipment manufacturers and fitness center owners will have to track and evaluate the deluge of new products and technology entering the market place. To keep relevant, they’ll need to identify what will most benefit their customers and how to incorporate into their business model if they want to be the Uber or Airbnb of fitness, or even stay in the game.
Article by:
David Shaw
David is the VP of Growth Fitness Marketing, Laguna Beach. His expertise includes: creative marketing strategies and services for health, fitness and wellness brands along with future casting / fitness technology consulting for fitness product manufacturers and fitness centers. For the latest in fitness, be sure to connect with David on: