The vibrating belt had its time in the sun as the exercise tool of choice. But would you have guessed its distant (and considerably more high-tech) descendant would be used by current Olympians?  Professor Gregory Sporton of Birmingham University has designed a vibrating biofeedback suit to help top athletes improve their game.

The MotivePro is a suit comprised of a networked series of motion detectors positioned at key points on the athletes body, such as the elbows and hips. The suit takes measurements between these sensor points and can tell when the athlete's posture strays beyond the sweet spot. If this happens then vibrating motors embedded in the suit immediately buzz the user to highlight their error.

Providing instant vibro-tactile feedback on incorrect posture can give athletes an edge in their technique. The UK's 3rd ranked rhythmic gymnast, Mimi Cesar, for example, believes it would be a fantastic training aid in group gymnastics, where a high level of synchronisation between multiple athletes is essential to winning medals. Sports such as cricket, snooker and table tennis would also benefit from real time limb feedback.

While traditionally sports such as basketball and running  were the focus of quantified-self technology, this is an interesting device as it is tailored towards new types of activities. Only time will tell whether such innovative devices become the new wave of quantified-self sport apparel.

Check it out here.