Vi Can (and Will) Keep Runners Healthy
Think about it: Overstriding and overuse are among the most common sources of injury for runners. The former places undo stress on the body by increasing the impact of each step and unnecessarily straining runners’ knees, hips and back. The latter begins with a breakdown of body mechanics and often manifests in the form of runner’s knee.
Vi works to prevent both by tracking footstrike, observing running posture and monitoring pace. Coming off a particularly grueling run? She’s going to recommend taking it easy—and talk you off the ledge if you break into a “hustle.”
My new pal Vi used the first two hours after we met to learn about the way I run, allowing her to specifically tailor my workouts and goals.
So, regarding an AI trainer who feels like a runner’s personal Tinkerbell—working to improve efficiency and performance while simultaneously saving us from ourselves—what more is there to say? Well, if the folks at LifeBEAM have their way, lots.
What’s Next?
“We are heading towards a paradigm shift where coaches and trainers will see wearables, not as their competition, but as an extension of their services,” says LifeBeam CEO Omri Yoffe. “Vi’s AI agent is designed to cover your full fitness and well-being lifestyle, starting with common run-walk training and continuing towards other fitness activities—like swimming, yoga and stretching—and well-being activities, including sleep, nutrition and mindfulness.”
Vi’s hardware was purposefully overloaded with the express intent of allowing for years of software upgrades, workout expansion and increased capabilities. In other words, she will only continue to get smarter. The device’s ability to grasp human centricity, adapt and learn on the fly allows Vi to stand apart in a crowded wearables space.
“Our mission is nothing less than to improve humanity by building the best AI companion for both body and mind,” says Drake. “Vi is the centerpiece around everything else we will build from both a hardware and software perspective.”
According to Drake, the roadmap forward for LifeBEAM and for Vi is “robust,” if mostly under wraps for now. Safe to say, though, that the full potential for AI-led wearables will sound the death knell for cookie cutter training programs and mark the beginning of a new era in run training and personal well-being.
So the next time you see me running solo, know that I’m not alone at all. I’m cruising with my futuristic running buddy.
She totally gets me.
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