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These Kickstarter earbuds have an AI assistant built into them to motivate you while you workout
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Headphones have come a long way over the last few years. Many of them are now wireless, many others are also either noise-cancelling or sweatproof, and a few let you seamlessly share music with your friends.
The latest headphone innovation comes from a company called Vi. The company's wireless earbuds come equipped with a voice-activated AI personal trainer. CEO Omri Yoffee thought of the idea when he was a pilot, specializing in aerospace engineering.
"I was passionate about building scalable bio-sensing technology which could be embedded into different wearable form factors and empower people around the world to know their body better and live better, safer lives," Yoffee told Business Insider. "It was pretty clear that the real passion and opportunity was around the mass consumer space, but I thought my aerospace background could be a great playground and credibility benchmark before taking the technology to the consumer space. After delivering the world's first combat flight bio-sensing product called Canary, I felt confident enough to start modifying it to the fitness and well-being worlds."
In 2016, Yoffee launched a Kickstarter campaign for Vi, which was so popular that it became the site's most funded Kickstarter for a fitness wearable. The technology behind Vi was originally developed for NASA and the Air Force, but instead of monitoring astronauts and pilots during their flight missions, it tracks fitness goals and performance.
Vi has an accompanying app you can use to record your progress. After you sync the earbuds with your smartphone, use the app to enter your personal data, fitness level, and goals. When you're ready to start working out, scroll through the app's list of workouts, select the one you'd like to do, and get moving.
Small biosensors cover the wireless earbuds and U-shaped neckband to track your heart rate, distance, elevation, and speed. Vi also interacts with you. The AI personal trainer built into the earbuds offers tips for improving your workout and motivates you to work just a little harder.
I recently received a pair of Vi headphones to test out and am loving them so far. I enjoy exercising, but I don't always push myself to work out as hard as I know I can (I'm human). My Vi headphones offer tips for making the most of my workout, and they provide me with extra motivation when I feel myself slacking off. Here's a walkthrough of my experience:
Once you connect the headphones to your smartphone, open Vi's app. From there, you'll create an account through Facebook or email to keep track of your progress.
Vi wants to make sure it can read your heart rate before you start exercising. To do that, you'll be prompted to put on your headphones and stand still. There's a small sensor on each earbud that, when pressed against your ear's tragus, can detect your heart rate.
I had some trouble setting this up, which I attribute to human error, but got it after a couple of tries. If you experience the same problem, Vi's headphones will emit a green light to show you exactly where the biosenors are.
The headphones come with several interchangeable eartips so you can create a snug fit.
For the most accurate readings, you'll have to enter basic fitness information like your weight, height, and age. iPhone users can also sync Vi with Apple's Health app, so they can have one place to monitor everything.
You're also asked to select your fitness goals (and prioritize one) as well as list your current fitness level. Workout goals vary from "reduce stress," to "lose weight," to "go farther."
The only gripe I have with Vi is the app doesn't list my fitness goal. I enjoy running, but I'm terrible at pacing myself. I run fast(ish) for two minutes, then desperately need to slow down. I wish Vi had more fitness goals so I could make my workout feel more personalized.
If you like working out to a heart-pumping playlist, you can sync Vi with Spotify and Strava. I use Amazon Music, but was able to play my running playlist in the background.
Vi will coach you through running, walking, and cycling. If you select running (which is what I did), you can choose between "free run," "distance run," and "timed run."
I'm no tech expert, but these headphones are an obvious step up from my regular earbuds. The buds fit snugly in my ears and offer a clear, crisp sound.
I also love the AI technology. Vi "talks" to me just enough. She updates me on my progress and offers helpful tips on breathing and my posture, but isn't distracting.
If I have question for Vi, I can tap my right earbud and ask her about my progress and heart rate, among other things. When I'm close to finishing my workout, Vi interjects with motivational cheers, pushing me to give 110% during my final stretch.
Once you're done with your workout, the app will display graphs outlining your heart rate, steps, speed, and more. The company claims you need to exercise for two full hours before it starts coaching you and provide more personal insights.
Vi's headphones aren't the cheapest workout headphones, but when you think about how much you'd spend on a personal trainer to coach and motivate you, the sticker shock becomes a little easier to swallow.
Vi Headphones, $249
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