K-MOTION K-VEST

Premium Features, Premium Aesthetics

CLIENT: K-Motion

INDUSTRY: Sports

SERVICES: Design, Engineering, Prototyping, Soft Goods

K-Motion became the recognized leader in wireless, human motion learning for sports, fitness, and medical applications with their K-Vest system. However, the size and shape of system components, as well as material choices, did not convey a premium appearance that coincided with its premium price point. For its new K-Coach offering, K-Motion wanted the appearance of their sensors to match the advanced technology of the electronics.

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3D Data and Biofeedback Training

K-Coach is a human motion learning system that helps sports trainers improve athlete kinematics, and physical therapists provide better outcomes for patients. A family of wearable components with embedded positional tracking sensors work in concert to collect 3D data that is wirelessly transferred to software for biofeedback training. The new system enhances freedom of movement and comfort for the wearer while being significantly lighter and smaller than its predecessor.

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Designing from the Inside Out

The electronic component assembly required optimization in order to design a smaller, modular sensor enclosure to house it. This effort included identifying an appropriate LED indicator and battery. Also, the worn soft goods components needed fit and comfort enhancements. Lastly, a charging case needed to be developed for storage, transport, and charging of system components.

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Total System Design

The project yielded the K-Coach family of components that work in concert to record kinematics. The wearable components include a vest, waist garment, armband, and a plastic glove mount. They incorporate updated soft goods materials that make them lighter, smaller, and more breathable than those of the original system. Each wearable component accommodates its own identical sensor that captures athlete movement data and wirelessly transfers it to software that provides real time biofeedback training. The sensor enclosure’s reduced size makes it streamlined to the body, while its tapered shape makes insertion in pockets easy, and its directional, semantic form makes the process intuitive.

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Showtime

K-Motion wished to demonstrate a fully-functioning K-COACH system at a looming PGA Show. A very tight deadline afforded our team only about three months of development time to generate concepts, source and receive pre-production electronic subassemblies, and coordinate a contract soft goods manufacturer to fabricate small batch garments. We leveraged Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Soft Goods, and Prototyping expertise to ensure proper component optimization.

The new K-Coach user experience allows K-Motion to expand beyond golf into other markets around the U.S. including professional baseball through hitting coaches and into the rehabilitation industry through physical therapists.