There have been a couple fitness shirts that have come out, but none that use that information to make what you’re doing easier. One company has been developing the technology to be able to manage motor output based on the users physiological data such as heart rate and breathing. That company is Fraunhofer.
The idea of the technology is that the user wears a shirt that can track things like pulse, breathing, and changes in heart rate. This information can be uploaded, analyzed and shared. Once it does that, it can determine whether the wearer is tiring or not, and control a motor on the bicycle based on that data. It can also be used to track stress levels and physical exertion.
The FitnessSHIRT team partnered with the people at MENTORbike to show the possibilities that a fitness shirt can have. The MENTORbike system itself uses physiological data and performance data to help stabilize training routines. The technology uses a smartphone app, using a smartphone that can be mounted to the bicycles handlebars.
Once the wearers heart rate reaches 150, the motor on the bike can take some of the load and help make riding the bike easier. The opposite is true if the wearers heart rate drops below a certain amount.
The system was shown off at last years Medica 2013 Trade Fair. We still do not know when the system will be released or even if it will be released to the general public, but Farunhofer has an investor and says that the shirt can be market-ready sometime next year.
