Skipping rope is about to get more fun.. and connected.
Without question, fitness trackers and health apps are on the rise. While the quantified self movement continues to mature, it was only a matter of time before our workout equipment would become connected as well. And though, a majority of smart wellness devices have been adorned to our wrists, they’re soon being embedded in just about everything — from our shirts to our dumbbells to now even our jump ropes. One of the companies hoping to lead the way is Ireland-based startup FitFox.
The company’s new skipping rope — currently live on Kickstarter — connects to a companion app via Bluetooth to not only precisely count your jumps, but monitor speed and calculate calories. The tracker, which can integrate with iOS Health and Google Fit, combines this data with action helping to ensure that you get closer to achieving your fitness goals. As for the electronics, the components are all embedded within the handles. These include a triaxial accelerometer, an optical module and a BLE chip, in addition to a built-in OLED screen displays the jumps.
The handles themselves, which are comprised of rubberized casing and a leather grip, boast an ergonomic shape that come together to give users a solid, yet natural grasp. The two handles also fit together via magnets for ease of portability and storage.
“Movement cannot just be measured. It needs to be fun. This is why we made it easy to take your friends on a challenge, wherever they are in the world,” FitFox explains.
That is why the startup has thrown a gamification component into the mix. Sure, you can compete against yourself, however Sophia allows users to challenge friends to a timed contest or a jump countdown to really drive motivation. And should your phone run out of battery or you prefer to stay ‘in the zone’ when you exercise, the embedded tracker will count the skips on its integrated display, and store data until the next time you connect it.
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