We ’re in the thick of a new era in personal physical fitness . million of us are strapping on Fitbits and other specialized wearable , reckon our steps , and observe tabs on how active we are . Yet for all their sophisticated engineering , many of these tools are justglorified pedometer . Ten thousand stepssoundsgreat , but other than making me compulsively curb my wrist all day , the Fitbit really does n’t provide the sort of motivation I call for to get in conformation .
That ’s what the squad behindthe newfangled Vi headsetis aiming to switch . This is n’t just another fitness wearable you slap on your wrist that passively keep back track of your stats and leave the balance up to you . Vi actuallyinteractswith you : it coaches you during your personalized workouts ( and even finds music to go with them ) , checks in on how you ’re sense afterwards , score suggestion to improve your subprogram , and dispute you to receive retentive - full term fitness goals .
The machine has more than quadruple itsfundraising goal on Kickstartersince it found , and a couplet week ago I had the chance to test it out . honestly , the folk at Fitbit should be gross out out . I think I just saw the hereafter of exercise .
LifeBEAM
Meet “Vi,” the Siri of fitness
What make Vi different from a Fitbit , Pebble , Apple Watch , and every other wearable you ’ve seen is that it ’s actually like having a personal trainer , only alternatively of a actual someone holler in your auricle , you get instructions and feedback from an interactive AI that goes by the name of Vi – fundamentally , a more enthusiastic , homo - like , hardass edition of Siri . The twist itself resembles a pair of wireless earbuds , tethered to a U - shaped collar . Those earbuds are equal to of a caboodle more than just pumping out workout jam ( although , side bank note , they were developed with audio prosHarman / Kardon ) . They have aerospace - grade biosensors that constantly supervise your heart rate , focal ratio , and level of exertion while at the same time tracking environmental factor like elevation , location , and atmospheric condition .
A ready note on the heart - charge per unit sensors : LifeBEAM , the company behind Vi , invented the sensorsused in champion pilot ' helmet that keep critically tightlipped tabs on their lively foretoken . So , serve it to say , they hump what they ’re doing . And because the sensing element are located between your heart and your Einstein , rather than on your wrist ( as they are with most wearables out there ) , they ’re open of capturing your pump rate with much better accuracy .
Get a workout that’s customized for your goals, habits, heart rate, and music taste
Once you ’re geared up to sweat , you let Vi do it ( via app , or just speaking aloud into the headset ) what kind of physical exertion you ’re seem for . require to sting more fat ? Improve your running form ? Train for a one-half marathon ? Just let her know and she ’ll adjust accordingly .
During my demo , I asked her to direct my idealistic tenderness - rate zona . Once she time my resting mettle rate , I hopped on the treadmill . As I slowly increased the bang stop number per her instructions , she queue up a Coldplay song via Spotify , whose cadence per second equate the pace she desire me at – enumerate off my step on top of the beat like a metronome to check proper soma . As she had me speed up she chirped some row of encouragement until I eventually get through my sum - charge per unit goal and began a cool - down .
The whole coming upon was surprisingly natural and left me feeling amped . I probably would have prefer for a different soundtrack ( sorry , Chris Martin ) , but Vi was paired with the developer ’s phone rather of mine at the time . Otherwise it would have pull lead from my Spotify or Apple Music business relationship .
LifeBEAM
Over time , Vi ’s software " find out " your workout drug abuse , adapts to your changing needs , and keep you challenge . Like a genuine - life trainer she ’ll occasionally text you in between workouts to make certain you ’re not slacking . And if she kicks your rump one day , she might travel along up with a school text later in the Clarence Day to see how you ’re finger , or prompt you to get a good dark ’s eternal rest before a day when she ’s slate a big backwash - education run for you . Vi also preserve tab on the weather , so if it ’s poor outside she ’ll hit you up to hint you work out indoors rather than bound off out on the whole .
Vi is ostensibly a workout buddy first and foremost , but its developers told me they designed it to be well-situated enough ( and with enough battery superpower ) to go as an all - day wearable , like its more low - visibility wrist - have on competitors . I would n’t necessarily see myself wearing it any more oft than I do my headphones ( which is , admittedly , a peck ) , but it ’s certainly light enough to keep around your neck without exit . Bottom short letter , it empowers its wearers with actionable intel in real sentence , rather than just a read - out of flights rise , steps step , and calories burned after the fact .
FYI , they ’re now acceptingpre - orders for $ 199 , and it ’s expect to hit shelves in December for around $ 250 .
LifeBEAM
Your move , Fitbit .
signalise up herefor our casual Thrillist e-mail , and get your fix of the good in food / drinking / merriment .
LifeBEAM/YouTube
