Sep 17, 2010 14:31 GMT  ·  By
TrainGrid consists of an e-shirt with sensors to determine in real time the athlete’s electrocardiogram, heart rate, skin temperature, body position and location via satnav
   TrainGrid consists of an e-shirt with sensors to determine in real time the athlete’s electrocardiogram, heart rate, skin temperature, body position and location via satnav

An European collaboration has recently signed an agreement that led to the development of a new type of smart e-shirt, a senor that can collect and display data on physical exercises or abilities instantly.

The new device is expected to be especially sought-for by professional athletes, or by avid fitness and workout fans. It can display a host of data pertaining to the body of the person wearing it.

The Spanish firm that created the sensor array is called emxys, and is based in The Netherlands, at the European Space Agency's (ESA) Business Incubation Center Noordwijk.

ESA provided the start-up with the necessary know-how to develop the commercial sensor under the Technology Transfer Program, officials at the agency say in a press release.

“Most of today’s monitoring aids for athletes, even the high-end ones, are very inaccurate and record so few parameters that both professional and amateur athletes continue to use pencil and paper to track their training,” says emxys CEO Dr José Antonio Carrasco.

“TrainGrid offers the full package for everyone: for those who just run for fun and for professional coaches and athletes. Put on your TrainGrid e-shirt and you can track your route, know if you are getting quicker, check if your friends are running and verify your heart rate,” he adds.

“And all the data are automatically recorded; no more stopwatches or uncomfortable straps to measure your heart rate around your chest,” the official goes on to say.

Niels Eldering, who is a ESA Technology Transfer Officer, is contributing to the effort, directing ESA experts in assisting the start-up to get off the ground.

“We have seen many times that our incubation centers provide inspiring environments to nurture start-up companies using space technology in non-space fields. emxys is a good example of how cross-fertilization between the different start-ups can create collaboration,” he says.

The company says that its sensors, called TrainGrid, can be used to determine the electrocardiogram, heart rate, skin temperature, body position and location via satnav of any person wearing it.

The senors itself comes in a very small, light and compact package, which is very easy and comfortable to carry around.

“We launched our product commercially in June 2010 and a number of runners are already using it,” Dr Carrasco says.

“We found all that was necessary [at ESA], from expert advice for making the business plan to support in promotion and communication with potential investors or partners,” concludes the Chief Technical Officer of emxys, Francisco García-de-Quirós.