Smart Boxing Gloves Show the Power in Your Punch

We have seen every kind of fitness technology from smart bikes to web-connected bras that monitor eating. Now even boxing gloves are getting smarter.

iPunch — which is looking for funding via its Indiegogo — is what its founders are calling "the world's first smart combat gloves." The gloves connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and tells you how fast and hard you're punching. The aim: take the guesswork out of boxing and training.

The concept comes from Stephen Cains, CEO and Founder of startup Responsive Sports, who has been practicing boxing, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) for 16 years.

"I spent a lot of time in training, unable to improve, and I wanted to know why," Cains told  mashbable. " I put sensors in my boxing gloves and headed to the gym, and everyone there wanted to try it. I think that's the longest I have ever spent in the gym."

“It's very difficult to determine what is your strongest punch without the data," he added. "When you use data you can see when it’s your best punch."

Each glove has two sensors. One measures how hard the punch landed, and the other is a three-axis motion sensor, which tells you speed and strength. The gloves connect with an app that has other training features, including what Cain dubbs "the Guitar Hero of boxing."

"The iPunch trainer gives you audible directions," he says. "As you improve, the instructions progress too, so it will always be challenging. It's a fun way for new and experienced boxers to work on their skills."

Another feature called Test of Strength pits you against others using the app. Participants get three chances to punch as hard as they can, and the strongest one wins. The top players are then displayed on a leader board within the app.

The gloves' batteries last about 15 hours (or 300 3-minute rounds) and can be recharged by plugging them in with a USB port. Currently, the iPunch gloves are only designed for MMA training, but the company plans to develop boxing gloves in the near future.

The product is now available for pre-order from the company's Indiegogo page, which expires later this month. Since the campaign launched June 13, it has raised nearly $5,000 of its $75,000 goal. Early backers will receive gloves for $139, and after that the gloves cost you $149.

Posted by : Gizmeon