Amiigo Fitness Device Will Track Specific Exercises, Not Just “Activity”

Kira M. Newman Jan 14, 2013 Tweet

Amiigo is launching an Indiegogo campaign today for $90,000 in its race to compete with leading activity trackers like the Nike+ FuelBand and the Fitbit.

While other devices track some generic measure of activity – mostly steps – amiigo will be able to differentiate between specific types of exercise, from running to bicep curls to squats. It can even tell the difference between a hammer bicep curl and a reverse bicep curl, or a practice golf swing and a real golf swing.

Amiigo includes a wristband and a shoe clip that detect position and acceleration. MIT engineers and cofounders Max Mann and Nahom Workie have created algorithms that analyze the data and figure out what exercise is being performed – whether you’re a 6’5” 200-pound man or a 5’2” 120-pound woman. On top of that, amiigo can track reps and sets.

That information is beamed back to your iOS or Android phone, with additional data on your blood oxygen, heart rate, and skin temperature. Those combine to measure how intense the exercise was.

As for the current activity trackers, I haven’t heard many complaints. People seem to like an overall activity number that they can compare from one day to the next and with their friends, whether that’s steps or calories (on the Fitbit or Fitbug) or movement (on the Nike FuelBand). Amiigo is probably more suited to athletes and weight lifters, who want that specific data.

Joining the cofounders above are two more cofounders, David Scott and Abe Carter.

Amiigo sells for $119, with early-bird pricing at $89, and they are scheduled to ship in June.