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This was a subject of an article “Issue 206: Wearables” released on October 25th, 2022, by well-respected Fitt Insider Author and Co-Founder Anthony Vennare.   The use of technology in sports and health and wellness has grown exponentially in recent years but despite the vast amount of information being collected, “siloed data and a lack of actionable insights pose challenges for companies and consumers alike (Vennare).”

Healthcare and Wellness Re-imagined?

As Vennare discusses in his article, the health and wellness journey is being re-imagined as we speak, as consumers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the broken healthcare system.  A radical transformation is underway and users are taking a much more active role in managing their own personal health and well-being, aggregating insights from a wide range of health wearables.  For many however, there is a disconnect between the collection and interpretation of data with the personalized recommendations and the tools necessary to create behavioral changes, leaving the majority with only marginal success as they continue to seek out increasingly sophisticated methods.

While it is important to empower individuals with the right data, it is arguably just as important, if not more so, to provide them with the TOOLS to actually address these findings in order to actually create meaningful change.  PantherTec offers a promising solution to address this through their Kinesthetic Awareness Training (KAT) system.

The KAT is a wearable motion capture and correction feedback system, utilizing wireless sensors. There are no specific movements or exercises embedded inside the KAT, therefore it is not a one-size-fits-all approach, but offers a unique way to customize instruction to the individual’s unique biomechanics.

Is this information actually being used to make decisions?  

Technology is only as useful as the behavior it influences.  The best technology helps answer a question that is specific to the problems the user is trying to solve.  Potential solutions must be filtered through to determine which device will offer the greatest integration and functionality to the user; with no one size fits all approach.  PantherTec is one such technology that CAN change the way you work, as the primary goal when we developed a training system with the KAT devices was to provide the ability to ACT on these insights.

The KAT intends to accelerate muscle memory with instructive vibrations through sensors for sport and rehab.  These sensors capture exercise technique in real-time, and teach it back to the individual, with vibrations they can feel during a session with a movement coach and/or later on during unsupervised practice.

How Does It Work?

Simplicity is key.  The KAT system was designed for quick set-up to be used on the field, at the gym, or even in the individual’s home, integrating seamlessly anywhere movement training takes place. The sensors can be easily moved during sessions, and the data can be easily stored under their unique id, with picture and video of their target movement.   The device ‘learns’ almost any technique and then teaches it back to the wearer with haptic/audio feedback in real time with just a sensor and mobile app, ensuring movement quality with every repetition.

The future of wearables in health and wellness, training, and even return to sport is bright, with personalized and actionable recommendations based on real-time biometrics leading the way.  The PantherTec KAT checks off all of these boxes, providing actionable insights to both data aggregated from other wearables as well as from the KAT sensors themselves.  Currently, the KAT is the only wearable technology that provides corrective vibratory feedback in real-time for any movement, anywhere.
– Jen Swanson