MIAMI – When it comes to athletes and competition, most fitness experts will say correct form is one of the most important ways to avoid injuries.
That advantage can also make a big difference in improving performance. And now, one South Florida entrepreneur is hoping her invention can be a game changer in that sense for runners.
Runners tend to move in a flash, or in this case, maybe it can be more of a dash -- DashOne to be exact.
That’s the name of the project, co-founded by Lara Garcia, a recent Florida International University graduate.
The invention is a wearable technology system that empowers athletes to improve their form and performance in real-time.
Developed as part of a senior project while wrapping up her studies at FIU, Garcia leaned on her experience as an athlete and, more specifically, as a long-distance runner, to get the idea off the ground.
“You put your body through so much strain that you can be at a really high risk of life-altering injuries,” she explained. “I realized that there is no tool on the market that can help students or help athletes, like myself, better understand our bodies and what our form looks like, and then enhance it.”
Combining that love of sports, health and fitness with a technical understanding of engineering fundamentals, led to Garcia and her co-founder, Juan Fortich, to create a prototype.
With it, they won $10,000 in their first-ever pitch competition.
From there, it was off to the races.
“We want this to be an accessory that can complement all their existing wear. We’re not trying to replace anything -- we’re just trying to enhance their overall experience when running,” Garcia said.
All of the information is gathered within sensors.
Everything from rotation, orientation, to overall positioning of the body, is collected.
Then the microcontroller is able to process all that information and interpret it.
“Based on that, we’re able to determine how your body is moving in space and time and then determine whether you’re exhibiting good or bad form by, let’s say, going over that threshold or being in the appropriate range of motion,” Garcia said.
The sensors stay in place while you’re running -- around your torso, around your arm and even around your leg.
The idea is that while you’re running, that data is collected and then that data will either give you a red light, meaning “something needs to be corrected,” or a green light, meaning “your form is all good.”
For now, the focus remains on connecting with the South Florida running community and getting the DashOne name out there.
That includes potential partnerships with athletic centers at FIU and other universities, all with the idea of putting one foot in front of the other on the path to success.
“We don’t want to make this an intimidating product that you feel that only the top 0.1% of runners can use,” Garcia said. “I’m designing for me, I’m designing for the people around me, and for the people in South Florida. Because that’s what keeps me going.”
Moving forward, DashOne will continue to fine-tune the product, getting it out to market and also releasing the accompanying app that collects the data from the sensors.
Eventually, the company hopes to expand beyond just long-distance running to a multitude of other sports.