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Health & Fitness

Run Rockets Use Augmented Reality to Help You Train

Want to be a better runner? Skier? This startup can help.

Run Rockets and Digital Ski Sensors Credit: Reviewed.com / Daniel Wroclawski
Daniel Wroclawski
Written by Daniel Wroclawski

Updated January 6, 2016

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Think augmented reality will help you enjoy running more? What about skiing? German startup HS Innovation thinks so, and it's come to CES with two products to do just that. They're called Run Rockets and Digital Ski.

Both products are essentially the same pair of sensors geared towards different sports. According to the CEO Hermann Schindler, the sensors feed data into an augmented reality app that will help you improve your running, downhill skiing, or cross-country skiing.

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Both products use a pair of sensors to analyze each of your feet. The Run Rockets' sensors attach to the heels of your shoes, while the Digital Ski sensors attach just in front of the bindings.

As you ski or run, the sensors transfer data to the AR app and display stats like speed, distance, and heartbeat (if using a third-party heart rate monitor) in what the company calls "Race Cockpits." These cockpits will also display symbols in one of four colors—green, yellow, red, or blue—to coax you into improving your form.

In addition, the app will also have games you can play as you exercise, which Schindler says might get "couch kids" more engaged in the sports.

Run Rockets Race Cockpit
Credit: HS Innovation

The Run Rockets Race Cockpit displays symbols for each foot, trying to get you to adjust your foot angle based on (bad) red spots it displays.

Each product has 10 hour battery life, and the Digital Ski should provide you 7 to 8 hours of battery life in extreme cold (below 5 degrees Fahrenheit).

The only problem here is the price. The sensors will cost between $350 and $550, a lot of money for one wearable product.

{{amazon name="Recon Instruments Jet Smart Eyewear for Sports and Fitness, Black", asin="B00MCJ4CKG", align="right"}} HS Innovation is planning to make the sensors work for other sports (Schindler specifically mentioned snowboarding and inline skating), and may eventually develop a Microsoft HoloLens app if the glasses are good enough for outdoor use.

Run Rockets and Digital Ski will go on sale in mid-January.

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