Ball boys and Marcos Giron test Ralph Lauren’s Polo tech shirt to monitor heart rate and biometrics at US Open
There’s a lot of talk about wearables – clothes combining smart technology- but much of it is still in the hypothetical or early beta stages. Ralph Lauren could be the first big fashion brand out of the stalls when it comes to getting wearable tech on to people’s backs.
The designer known for preppy polos has debuted its smart shirt on the courts rather than the catwalk, with ball boys and the men's wild card entry Marcos Giron testing them out at the US Open Tennis Championships.
Giron will wear the shirt during practices, but not during the tournament, to track his biometrics which can be used to fine tune his play, form and breathing.
The Polo Tech shirt has sensors knitted throughout the fabric which read biological and physiological information, turning the whole shirt into a sensor and feeding back the information to an app.
Ralph Lauren worked with Canadian smartwear specialist OMsignal on the technology. The firm, backed by a number of venture capitalists, is able to collect data and run it through an algorithm which gauges heartbeat, respiration, stress level and energy output.
US Open tournament director David Brewer said the shirt had features that could “revolutionise how players train and compete.”
Senior vice president David Lauren said the company was “excited to help lead the industry in wearable technology in this ever-evolving, modern world.”
While the US Open, which started yesterday and runs until 8 September, marks a high performance arena for its debut, Lauren believes the shirt’s potential also lies in the everyday.
“Our vision is that this will transcend sports to help us at every age and in every aspect of life. Reaching far beyond just the needs of elite athletes, Polo Tech will offer innovative technology for all ages and lifestyles to promote general wellness and quality of life.”
Watch it in action below.