The end of the glass athlete
Digital education in sport. The Swiss start-up VORN promises nothing less. And, according to its own statement, heralds the end of the transparent athlete.
Google paid two billion dollars for the Fitbit takeover last year. This gave it access to the health data of 28 million users in one fell swoop. Over the next few years, the commercialisation of this data will bring Google several times the purchase price into its coffers. And what about data protection? Fitness trackers have long attracted negative attention on this topic. In 2017, for example, Strava leaked secret US military bases.
Fitness device with AI & crypto encryption
In Wollerau on Lake Zurich, the Swiss start-up VORN is working on a new fitness and health device together with competitive athletes and doctors, according to its own information. There are collaborations with the Fraunhofer Institute, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts or Qnective AG. The innovative tracker is to be used in both amateur and professional sport and provide data in unprecedented abundance and accuracy. For example, it should be possible to perform a medical ECG with the device.
We do not guess. We know every inch of your motion - to the millisecond.
VORN's primary goal is to give athletes back control over their vital data, the company writes in a press release. The recorded values are protected by cryptic encryption. This would utilise technology from Qnective, which is also used at government level to protect security-relevant communication infrastructures. The encryption already takes place on the device. The analysis supported by artificial intelligence is also encrypted.
The personal wallet stores the data with maximum security and protects it from access by third parties. It is not shared with other companies or sold on without the user's permission. The data belongs exclusively to the user and any access must be authorised by the user.
The market launch is planned for summer/autumn this year.
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From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.