The Olympics are all about athletes constantly striving to push their bodies and minds to new heights of performance and achievement. As athletes prepare to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics, they’re leveraging a cutting-edge technology developed by researchers at MIT’s nanoengineering hub, MIT.nano.
Striv, a pioneering startup, leveraged its connection with MIT’s advanced labs and fabrication tools through the START.nano accelerator program to craft innovative expertise. Striv’s tactile sensing expertise seamlessly integrates into sneaker inserts, combining with algorithms that process this data to provide exact monitoring of pressure, motion, and kinematics. A team of elite athletes – including USA marathoner Clayton Younger, Jamaican Olympic medalist Damar Forbes, and former Olympic marathoner Jake Riley – have put Striv’s innovative device to the test.
“Riley expresses enthusiasm for the possibilities offered by Striv’s specialized knowledge.” It’s poised to revolutionize how we approach and prevent accidents in a superior manner. After conducting thorough tests on the sensors and verifying the data firsthand, I am confident in their value.
For Striv founder Axl Chen, the 2024 video games serve as a timely reminder that his product can elevate athletic performance to unprecedented heights. While Chen acknowledges the potential benefits for Olympic athletes, they also envision broader applications that could significantly impact a wider audience of non-elite performers.
“We anticipate that the Paris 2024 Olympics will provide a compelling opportunity to test our product alongside athletes preparing for the event,” Chen states. “Afterward, we will deliver this solution to a wide audience, empowering everyone to access the same high-quality support and training recommendations enjoyed by professional athletes.”
While working in the robotics laboratory at Tsinghua University in China, Chen began exploring the potential of tactile sensors. Within a two-year span, he investigated various approaches to enhance the sensors’ versatility and reduce their costs.
Chen notes that while many have examined the intersections of imagination and language, the realm of tactile perception remains largely uncharted in his opinion? “I predicted that combining tactile sensors with AI would yield exceptionally innovative products.”
Striv’s initial foray into the gaming industry focused on developing immersive experiences through digital reality (VR). The corporation developed a revolutionary shoe featuring integrated sensors capable of tracking customers’ physical movements in real-time, seamlessly integrating this data with standard virtual reality hand controllers. Strengthened by international demand, Striv successfully supplied over 300 pairs of high-quality sneakers to customers worldwide.
As Striv’s innovative approach gains traction, it attracts interest from leading companies in the medical, robotics, and automotive sectors – a double-edged sword that poses both opportunities and challenges, as startups must prioritize focus on a single customer early on.
Chen asserts that joining the START.nano program in 2023 represented a pivotal moment of transformation for the corporation.
Chen candidly admits that she was on the verge of not applying to any colleges at all. “I’ve established myself as an authority in this field, and I believed that conducting research at MIT could significantly advance the existing knowledge.”
Since then, Chen has capitalised on MIT’s state-of-the-art nanofabrication facilities, research laboratories and expertise to experiment with novel designs and build working prototypes. As part of its innovative endeavors, the team at MIT.nano’s Immersion Lab has leveraged cutting-edge technologies to track precise movement capture devices and various sensing modalities, such as VO2 consumption measurement and detailed pressure evaluations of runners’ steps on a treadmill.
Striv’s workforce has leveraged support from the MIT Entrepreneurial Mentoring Service and participates in the MIT Industrial Liaison Program’s Startup Trade initiative, utilizing these resources to focus on athletes as a beachhead market for their expertise.
“It’s truly outstanding to see MIT providing such robust support,” Chen remarks. As we regularly face inquiries about our initiatives for non-students, we respond by emphasizing MIT’s unwavering commitment to driving innovation forward.
Striv’s sensing resolution comprises two layers of adaptable electrodes separated by a fabric, which can produce distinct electrical properties dependent on the pressure applied beneath this configuration. At the core of Chen’s research at MIT.nano lies his pursuit to fortify and refine materials, achieving this through the strategic incorporation of nanostructures and targeted modifications.
Strive can also leverage AI algorithms that utilize sensor data to infer comprehensive physiological movement.
“We can precisely measure the pressure exerted by them on the bottom and assess the impact of their actions.” We’re able to identify when they’re leaning forward too much or their knees are bent excessively, To accurately determine whether enhancements are occurring, it is crucial to carefully examine the data.
As soon as Chen began conducting interviews with runners, he realized that Striv could potentially provide support to help them achieve their goals.
Athletes facing the dilemma of optimizing their performance have two unappealing alternatives: investing in an expensive biomechanics lab or using a wearable device that tracks their heart rate but offers little insight into their efficiency, according to Chen. For instance, if you’re currently operating, how’s your team faring? Runners are genuinely enthused by their own breed. They’re acutely aware of just how far their knees extend, how enthusiastically they’re bounding, and how much stress they’re putting on their joints.
To date, Striv has rigorously tested its product among approximately 50 elite athletes, collaborating closely with Younger in the buildup to the Olympics. Chen also prioritizes developing affordable options for casual runners looking for a more accessible entry point into the sport.
“We also need to cater to serious runners who may lack expertise,” Chen states. I am familiar with many individuals in Boston who go for a daily run. This is where that can go subsequently.
As the corporation expands and accumulates additional data, Chen predicts that Striv will have the capacity to provide tailored plans for optimizing productivity and mitigating risks across a diverse range of operations?
“We consulted with multiple coaches, identifying opportunities to adapt our approach to various sports.” Outdoor enthusiasts, including golfers, hikers, tennis players, cyclists, and those who enjoy skiing and snowboarding. We anticipate that this information will be particularly beneficial to all concerned.
