Samsung SmartSuit uses tech to help Olympic athletes train
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Samsung has a SmartSuit to help Winter Olympic athletes train. The SmartSuit is being provided to a pair of Dutch short track racers courtesy of Samsung Netherlands, which developed the wearable in conjunction with coach Jeroen Otter and scientist Bjorn de Laat. As with similar suits we've seen, the Samsung SmartSuit transmits data to the coach's smartphone.
The Samsung SmartSuit works with Samsung's Galaxy S8 phone specifically, using a handful of integrated sensors to gather data on the athletes' training sessions. These sensors are highly capable, able to track movements down to single millimeters. Their coach can then use that data to see where improvements need made, what works, and tweak training sessions as needed for efficient training.
The SmartSuit isn't something that is generally available, nor could it be; Samsung made both suits specifically for each athlete's body. The accurate tracking depends on accurate info about the athlete's body, such as leg lengths, so that body positions can be properly discerned and tracked.
To help avoid interruptions to the training system, Samsung's SmartSuit tech works with wearable wrist bands that athletes have on during training. If the coach needs to make them aware of something, he can tap an in-app button to send a vibration to the wearable. For example, if the systems notes that one of the athletes didn't quite bend enough, the coach can send a vibration to let them know to go deeper next time.
All of this is leading up to the 2018 Winter Olympics starting early next month in Pyeongchang, South Korea.