CONTENDER-
BOXING WEARABLE
For The Modern Fighter
My Role
UI/UX Designer
Product Designer
Tools
Sketch
Procreate
Blender
Marvelous Designer
Project Brief
Contender is a wearable that helps people maintain a proper boxing stance. The project came from personal observations from various boxing gyms. There would only be one instructor who couldn’t keep up and guide all the members. As a result, some members had little instruction.
This project began as an academic project, assigned during the Covid-19 pandemic. The brief of the project was to design a wearable or IoT device. The wearable could be in any area of focus, so long as it was technically feasible. Since then, this project has evolved into a passion project and one that I am always looking to improve.
The Big Idea
A wearable that helps facilitate the limited guidance received from boxing gyms. The wearable uses technology to provide the user with data that is necessary to improve. As a byproduct developing this wearable will also help reduce the risk of injury.
The Objective
The objective of the wearable is not to change the way people have been training. Instead, the goal is to enhance their training for consistent improvement with the wearable. Some basic instruction and understanding of boxing are still needed, but with this understanding, the users can have the ability to build from and improve.
Technology Placement
The Technology
Gyroscope
Gyroscope sensors can sense the rotational motion and change in orientation. The gyroscopes measurement will be a reference point for the rotation when a punch is performed and where the user should reset.
Accelerometer
The accelerometer helps measure the linear acceleration of movement. The accelerometer measurements will calculate the distance of the starting point (in boxing stance) to the endpoint (punch thrown) and back to the starting point.
Haptic Sensors
Haptic sensors use force, vibration, and motion to create a simple vibration. The use of the haptic sensors is to provide feedback to the user on the part of the body that needs to be adjusted.
Electronic Textiles
The E-textiles enable digital components such as a battery and a light and electronics to be embedded in them. E-textiles will be necessary for the other components to work.
The Final Product: Starter and Pro Model
Boxing can be a demanding discipline. It can take years of commitment to achieve mastery of the sport. Due to this, identified two different target market groups and the opportunity to develop a pro and a standard model to appeal to the consumer's situational needs and level of commitment. This also comes from personal experience. When I started boxing, I purchased some inexpensive gloves. At the moment, I wasn't sure how committed I would be in training at a boxing gym, but once I started taking it seriously, I decided to invest in more expensive gloves.
Companion App
In addition, the wearable I designed an app that would assist in pairing the wearable. As well as provide various exercises that the users can perform. The initial setup requires users to select the wearable model they have, followed by their skill level, and then their stance. Finally, they perform some boxing techniques to calibrate the wearable.
Reflection
The wearable has since turned into a side project. I'm actively finding some time to continue working on this project. Eventually, I want to produce a working prototype and continue refining the UI and visual style of the wearable. Another goal for this project is to develop the starter and pro wearable for adaptive athletes and anyone with physical challenges. as well as adding skills assessment so that the wearable can pick the best training and exercises that fit that particular person.
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