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Coming soon: Smart fitness tee that measures ECG, heart rate, calories as you run

SINGAPORE — On Sunday (Dec 2) morning, Mr Adrian Mok, 43, donned his dri-fit running top and shorts to join some 2,500 participants at the One-North Run 2018. But unlike his fellow runners, there was something unique about Mr Mok’s gear.

The T-shirt is designed by SIMTech, a research entity of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), smart wearable start-up KaHa, and textile company Tex Line.

The T-shirt is designed by SIMTech, a research entity of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), smart wearable start-up KaHa, and textile company Tex Line.

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SINGAPORE — On Sunday (Dec 2) morning, Mr Adrian Mok, 43, donned his dri-fit running top and shorts to join some 2,500 participants at the One-North Run 2018. But unlike his fellow runners, there was something unique about Mr Mok’s gear.

His white smart fitness T-shirt was embedded with a device that allowed him to read his health metrics such as the number of calories burned, heart rate, as well as perform an electrocardiogram (ECG). An ECG is a test that checks how an individual’s heart is performing by measuring its electrical activity. 

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Touted as the first smart apparel here that measures a person’s ECG, the smart fitness T-shirt could become the apparel of choice at endurance events in the future, with its makers targeting to launch the product commercially in the second quarter of 2019.

The T-shirt is designed by SIMTech, a research entity of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), smart wearable start-up KaHa, and textile company Tex Line.

While it is currently at an advanced prototype stage, its makers say that the finished product could be used to aid emergency response teams during endurance events as organisers will be able to monitor runners using the metrics broadcast to the command centre. In future, a similar product could also be used to monitor the health of the elderly, as well as full-time National Servicemen.

HOW IT WORKS

  • A strip of carbon electrode, less than 1 mm in thickness, is embedded into the inner layer of the fitness T-shirt

  • The carbon electrode picks up an individual’s body signals

  • A bluetooth sensor module attached to the electrode processes and analyses the data picked up by the electrode

  • The data, such as heart rate, ECG, and heart rate variation, can be seen via an application on a mobile phone or device

While it is a first in Singapore, the technology is not new. In 2013, Canada-based company Hexoskin introduced their own line of smart garments which allow users to measure ECG, heart rate variation, and breathing rate. Its full package comprising the T-shirt, bluetooth recording device and mobile app retails online for US$499 (S$686).

The Singapore version will be priced at 20 to 30 per cent more than dri-fit running T-shirts — that do not have such technology — that are currently on the market, said its makers.

Mr Mok, the founder of the Sundown Marathon who has also participated in numerous distance events, tested the smart fitness tee during his 5km run on Sunday, and weighed in on its potential.

Comparing the tee with other fitness wearables such as activity tracker Fitbit and other GPS running watches, Mr Mok said the smart tee is cheaper than a GPS running watch that also measures a user’s heart rate, but added that factors such as design and runners’ loyalties to certain brands might influence their buying decisions.

While other devices such as a smartwatch or Fitbit may be more convenient to use as they do not require a mobile phone, he pointed out that these do not measure ECG.

The ability to measure a user’s ECG and heart rate variation could be a differentiating factor for the smart tee in future, as it could allow for more detailed diagnoses such as whether the individual is adequately hydrated, and if he or she is under- or over-training, said Mr Mok.

However, he added: “You need a diagnostic, probably from a doctor and/or a cardiologist, they can explain further with the ECG. I think that is also the power and potential of what the app can further develop as a diagnostics tool.”

Makers of the smart tee are looking to add more fitness parameters as they take in feedback and make changes to the current advanced prototype. Ms Sim Seo Lay, KaHa’s head of business development and operations said that they are looking to include blood pressure, analysis of an individual’s heart condition, fatigue level, as well as the rate of recovery after an activity.

The team also worked with doctors, hospitals, and research institutions to ensure that the health indicators being measured through the smart wearable tech was benchmarked against standards in the health industry.

SAVING & IMPROVING LIVES WITH TECH

Aside from the fitness tee, the makers are also looking to sell a dashboard application to marathon organisers which will allow them to monitor the health status of runners during a race.

The dashboard receives the health metrics of the participants and alerts organisers if a runner appears to be over-exerting himself or herself. They can then alert a race marshall in that individual’s zone to look out for, and assist the runner if required.

Ms Sim said: “It prompts the event organiser that certain people are actually not in a good condition, to check on them, and make sure that they are still fit to run. Because the last thing you want is actually a mishap during your event.”

There have been a number of sudden death cases at endurance events in Singapore, with the most recent incident occurring in August this year when a 46-year-old former Traffic Police officer suffered chest pains and died shortly after participating in the Safra Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon.

According to a 2014 report by the European Society of Cardiology, investigators had described ECG surveillance of athletes taking part in a marathon as feasible and “a promising preventive concept”, as emergency services located along the route could be alerted to cases of life-threatening arrhythmias — or abnormal heart rhythm — and administer treatment.

Mr Mok said he would be “very interested” in such a monitoring tool for the Sundown Marathon as it is difficult to get runners to undergo a pre-run health check. 

“A detailed ECG diagnostic can be useful, pick up any potential heart problems. That will really help all race organisers,” he added.

Mr Rick Yeo, the director of Emerging Applications Centre at SIMTech said that the smart fitness tee is just the first of wearable tech that the research agency is aiming to launch.

Smart wearables such as shoes, baby clothing, and apparel for people working in the oil and gas sector are also on the cards.

He added: “You can map ECGs to glucose levels in the body. So, we can actually monitor diabetic patients, monitor stress, monitor fatigue levels.”. 

According to Mr Yeo, the ability to monitor one’s health through wearable tech will help individuals better manage their personal health and allow for preventive measures to be taken.

Wearable tech can also be used to monitor the elderly, and even in the military, added Mr Yeo. 

“We can use this for a lot of mundane jobs in the various operations in hospitals, in the workplace, to improve productivity and it can help us to monitor and improve our lives,” he said.

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