I don’t know anything about kiteboarding. But what I do know is that I would probably do a lot of sick jumps. Like, maybe a 360 flip? What’s that called in the kiteboarding world? A “360 kite wobble?” I hope so.
Finally a way to measure all my sick kiteboard jumps
Anyway, North Kiteboarding, which apparently makes and sells these “kiteboards” I’ve heard so much about, has teamed up with PIQ to make a sensor and app for kiteboards. The app connects to the sensor over Bluetooth, and can rate your jump height, air time, and a bunch of other stuff about how you’re “totally shredding” out there on the water. The sensor tracks “13 axes” of motion, presumably through a combination of accelerometers and gyroscopes, though technical details are slim. PIQ already offers its sensor golf, skiing, and tennis, so apparently kiteboarding was the natural followup.
The best part is that PIQ has created an “international leaderboard” for kiteboarders to compare their accomplishments. It’s about time someone taught these freedom-loving wind followers about cold hard stats and ranked them numerically. Check out this totally artsy black-and-white film about the joy of sensors.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
