How does the smart jersey for athletes designed by WAT scientists work?

Innovative project of Polish engineers allows monitoring of the athlete’s performance on a new level. The jersey comes with a special mobile application that archives the results achieved.

Creators of the pioneering project

A team of engineers from the Military University of Technology in Warsaw is responsible for creating an intelligent shirt for athletes. The group of scientists was led by Colonel Mariusz Chmielewski, PhD, in collaboration with Lieutenant Colonel Tadeusz Sondej, PhD, in charge of the digital part. The team from the WAT created an innovative project in collaboration with NUTPro company, which will be responsible for the commercialization of the device. So far the authors of the invention have managed to win numerous awards, including two gold medals at the international innovation and invention exhibitions EUROINVENT and IWIS 2020. The pioneering sports jersey has a chance to enrich the market of developed technologies for professional athletes and amateur athletes training in various sports disciplines.

Modern technology

The device was created as part of wearable electronics wearables, which allows you to freely monitor physical activity, the parameters of the athlete’s body and the level of effort carried out. As one of the creators of the jersey emphasizes, the technology integrated with the textiles used to sew the jersey was used to create it. Typically, such devices that collect mobile biomedical measurements use the technique of photoplethysmography – the study of blood flow through blood vessels in a given part of the body – and electromyography that allows the study of muscle activity of an athlete. The T-shirt created in Poland uses functions previously found in professional medical equipment, such as a holter, which allows for more accurate reading of data. The T-shirt was designed in such a way that even centimeter-long graphite electrodes adhere precisely to the body and are safe for the user. The signal-conducting fibers in the garment have been carefully designed and integrated into the fabric so that they do not cause any chafing to the athlete, which often happens when using technical clothing.

What parameters does the device monitor?

Thanks to the advanced technology monitoring the exact data of the body’s work, the jersey allows you to recognize the work of active muscles, analyze the collected data, and determine the correct technical patterns implemented during training. Thanks to the sensors sewn into the material, the athlete can learn the exact capacity of his body and check its efficiency. Among the parameters monitored by the device there are pulse rate, perspiration level, steady body load or work of specific muscle parts. Analysis of the pulse results allows the algorithm to diagnose the current state of the body’s efficiency, predict possible overloading and damage, and avoid probable syncope, fainting, and even strokes, which may result from too intensive physical effort. Monitoring an athlete’s body perspiration allows the athlete to monitor the water content of their body, thus preventing dehydration during prolonged athletic activity or overly demanding training. If the jersey detects irregularities in the execution of exercises or an error in the athlete’s health parameters, it immediately informs him and warns him of the possible danger.

Dedicated app

The smart jersey comes with a special mobile application that makes it easy to control the data collected during workouts. Numerous functions of the application allow, among others, to perform multi-segment workouts, as the sensor technology used to create the device independently recognizes the current exercise regime. Thus, the athlete can start the activity by running, later get on a bike, and finally freely perform strength training without having to change exercise options. The system allows users to share their results with other users and invite them to a sports competition to motivate each other. The estimated price of the product is about 2 thousand zlotys.

Featured photo: Freepik