LEOMO commenced its roll-out of the TYPE-R motion analysis tool – for athletes, coaches, and fitters – in the United Kingdom on August 1st. The TYPE-R is billed as the first in a new category of wearable technologies specifically designed to help competitive athletes and their coaches unlock the power of motion analysis.
As a wearable motion measurement tool for athletes, the TYPE-R breaks down the potential inefficiencies of body movements during cycling.
LEOMO’s TYPE-R is now available for sale to UK riders, and the trade, priced at £699 (including VAT, plus shipping fee).
LEOMO notes that, until now, motion analysis of an athlete has been limited to occasional sessions in labs or studios. A company release adds… ‘These occasional indoor sessions do not accurately depict real-world training/race environments and have also been known to boast a hefty price. LEOMO’s TYPE-R pioneers the field of portable motion analysis as it allows athletes, their coaches, and bike fitters to collect real-time data in any environment that captures the essence of training and racing conditions.’
WiFi data enabled, the TYPE-R lets users upload their data quickly to the cloud. LEOMO’s web-browser based analytics dashboard gives users a comprehensive overview of their day to day activities. It enables users to proceed with an analysis that integrates motion data with power, cadence, speed, heart rate, elevation, and more.
- For Athletes: The TYPE-R claims to close the gap between an athlete’s own intuition about their cycling motion and objective measurements. By delivering the data in real-time, such measurements become visible and allow athletes to be aware of good technique and key movements that are tied to their performance.
- For Coaches: LEOMO points out that assessing athletes’ motion with the naked eye can be inconsistent and ‘the TYPE-R can assist coaches to validate such assessments with data’. In addition to their experience, coaches can be equipped with information to make data-driven decision making such that their clients ‘receive precision-focused training strategies that provide competitive edges’. With the ability to handle data in the cloud, coaches can also easily monitor their remote clients’ conditions and training progress.
LEOMO is working with coaches such as elite USA Triathlon and USA Cycling certified coach and sports scientist, Neal Henderson, to test the TYPE-R with elite athletes.
“Understanding motion is fundamental to understanding the body, so the TYPE-R provides valuable insights to help give me and my athletes a competitive edge,” said Neal Henderson. “Coupled with power and other metrics, it can help me objectively quantify and evaluate an athlete’s movement accurately in the field – and in real time – which has not been possible until now.”
Sebastian Weber (a professional cycling coach of multiple world champion, Tony Martin, and the founder of the STAPS human performance lab in Germany), said, “TYPE-R is a perfect complement to power measurement capabilities. I think the TYPE-R will bring the power of motion analysis out of the lab and into our cyclists’ world for the first time, filling a void that’s currently missing in their arsenal. And I am convinced that the TYPE-R will provide valuable insights into our athletes’ motion and give them a competitive edge.”
The LEOMO TYPE-R consists of a touchscreen head unit and five small, lightweight rechargeable Bluetooth sensors, each with its own three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer. Worn on the thighs, feet, pelvis and/or torso, TYPE-R’s motion sensors record the rider’s movements at 100 data points per second. The real-time display aids the understanding of an athlete’s form and techniques to provide insights into their performance.
Motion Performance Indicators on feet (L & R):
- Dead Spot Score (DSS) – Exhibits the magnitude and locations where pedalling velocities lack smoothness along the left and right pedalling cycles.
- Foot Angular Range (FAR) – Measures how much the heel moves up and down while pedalling.
- Foot Angular Range (FAR Q1) – Measures how much the heel moves up and down between the 12 and 3 o’clock pedal positions.
Motion Performance Indicators on thighs (L & R):
- Leg Angular Range (LAR) – Measures how much the thighs move up and down while pedalling.
Motion Performance Indicators on pelvis:
- Pelvic Angle – Measures how much a rider’s pelvis is tilted upwards.
- Pelvic Rotation – Measures the angular rotational range of the sacrum’s local vertical axis per second.
- Pelvic Rock – Measures the angular rotational range of the sacrum along its local sagittal axis per second.
Motion Performance Indicators on torso:
- Torso Angle – Torso Angle indicates in degrees how much the chest (at sternum) is tilted upward relative to gravity.
- Torso Rotation – Torso Rotation measures the average angular rotational range of the chest.
- Torso Rock – Torso Rock measures the average angular rotational range of the chest to the left and right.
TYPE-R was also boosted by a win at this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD 2018, the iF GOLD award. From over 6,400 submissions, only 75 were awarded the gold award by the independent iF jury.
LEOMO was founded by Kunihiko Kaji and Taizo Son in 2012, is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, with a satellite office in Tokyo, Japan. With 39 employees (as of July 2018), LEOMO’s core business is to sell, design and manufacture devices and related services that contribute to advancements in sports.
