I get pitches for Kickstarter campaigns frequently, but rarely do I post about them since it’s hard to assess the potential of a device that I have not had a chance to play with myself. I’m going to make an exception to this general rule here to announce the launch of a Kickstarter campaign for a device called the RunScribe. Why? Because although I haven’t played with the runScribe, I was able to have a long chat with the developers of the device a few months back and they gave me a preview of what the device is capable of. It has the potential to be a very cool little gadget!
Here’s how Scribe Labs describes the runScribe:
“runScribe is a lightweight running wearable that mounts on the back of your shoe and uses a 9-axis sensor to precisely capture the movements of your foot during the gait cycle. The precision measurements, combined with runScribe’s kinematic engine delivers the most advanced set of running metrics available outside of a professional lab environment.
While other running technologies offer limited information – merely tracking steps, distance and speed – runScribe makes thousands of calculations for every stride and reports on 13 detailed kinematic metrics. The scale and detail of data available through runScribe has never been captured in a consumer device, giving athletes, trainers and coaches real-world data to make informed training decisions.”
Below is a summary of the metrics that runScribe is capable of measuring:
And here is a video preview about runScribe:
My take on the runScribe is that if it can provide accurate data, it could be a very handy tool for use in the clinic, and for comparisons of running in different shoes (I could have a lot of fun with this!). I also like that the developers are looking to crowdsource data from runners using the device to create a large database of metrics from the community at large. This could be really useful for seeing how a given individual falls on the spectrum of variation observed among those using the device, and even more helpful if individual metrics can somehow be related to risk for specific injuries (this would be a big challenge).
I’m hoping to have a demo unit in the near future to play with, and it looks like they are aiming for shippable units to be available by late November. In the meantime, if you want more information head on over to the runScribe page on Kickstarter. You can also check out the runScribe website, of follow runScribe on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date on development and release timelines.
About Peter Larson
I went to pledge the Kickstarter, and it prompted me to create an Amazon Payments account, which apparently requires I provide my SSN and date of birth. Am I missing something? I already have a regular Amazon account used for making purchases, and hadn’t expected I needed to provide this info just to make a Kickstarter pledge. Is there some other way to pledge a Kickstarter campaign without having to give up your birthdate and social security number?
Hmmm…not sure. Seems strange that they’d want a SS#.
No vertical oscillation?
Probably hard to do that when attached to the foot since it swings up and down so much during stride. Vertical oscillation uually refers to center of mass near the hips, and I guess a chest strap like from the Garmin 620 can give an estimate.
Like you, Pete, I’m always a little skeptical of Kickstarter campaigns. I get really excited by a concept only to see it fizzle out. With runScribe I do see some promise.
I enjoy tracking my run data but would love to see something real-time. runScribe looks like it will provide robust data but would love to know on the run what I could change instead of after a run. Maybe we’re still a few years out from that concept. I think the proactive coaching wearable is a great idea and I know there are other projects out there (on Kickstarter no less). It will be fun to see what happens.
Will be very interesting to see all this data combined with data from latest Garmin sensors.
Hey
one of the best devices on kickstarter. I love it. Saw it these days on a german blog
http://www.politcommerce.com/2014/08/23/runscribe-daten-clip-misst-detaillierte-biomechanische-daten/
funny :-)
greatings from jimbow
Wow! It’s a great data collection device that can help in tracking our run time. I will definitely use it…
Any plans to use ANT+ instead of BT
I got an email today from Scribe Labs notifying me that my sensor will ship in the next couple weeks and requesting payment. Anyone else hear the same?
I wish ;) ordered a twopack in the kickstarter. Hope I get them soon.
Can anyone make a comparison between runscribe pro and ambio run? Thanks a lot.