SmartMio Wearable Muscle Stimulator
Getting ripped while sitting on my ass. It's the stuff dreams are made of. And, fingers crossed into a length of 550 paracord, the stuff SmartMio will be made of. SmartMio is a wearable muscle stimulator and app-based passive workout program designed to enhance the pursuits of athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Intended for use in conjunction with existing training programs, SmartMio employs the Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) technique to activate muscles and boost their output, improving results and promoting faster recovery with very little additional input from its wearer. The device's padded electrodes and their EMS function essentially mimic the brain's transmission of nerve impulses that engage muscles during workouts. This allows users to "work out" while sitting at their desk compiling spreadsheets or on their couch watching reruns of Mr. Belvedere. The EMS process also trains muscle groups in complete isolation, a task that can be difficult to complete using standard strength training methods.
SmartMio devices adhere to the body with self-sticking electrode pads powered by a 170 mAh LiPo battery (enough to cover an average weekly stimulation plan on a full charge.) The SmartMio app for Android and iOS then pairs with the hardware to conduct training sessions based on a user's goals and level of fitness. Programs will include endurance and strength boosting for multiple areas of the body--chest, biceps, lats, abs, glutes, quads, calves--plus separate sessions for warming up, active recovery, and massage. SmarMio says its stimulation channels are compact and light enough (25 grams) to wear comfortably and unnoticeably under clothes.
SmartMio runs as an already-successful Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign through May 5, 2014, with anticipated device delivery in November 2014. Several pledge options are available for single and double SmartMio sets, the latter enabling wearers to work both sets of a muscle group simultaneously.