Adidas has just announced the Adidas GMR – a sensor and insole that you can place into your shoe, and then have it detect your moves on the pitch.
Powered by Google’s ‘Project Jacquard’ connected clothing initiative (which so far is mostly known just for a smart jacket), the Adidas GMR can measure your kicks, shot power, distance and speed.
Those sound like useful metrics for any footballer, but this is particularly aimed at players of FIFA Mobile Ultimate Team (available on iOS (opens in new tab) and Android (opens in new tab)), as by completing challenges and achieving milestones you can earn in-game rewards, such as coins and skill boosts.
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One example of the sort of challenges offered by the Adidas GMR is to take 40 powerful shots within the penalty box in the space of a week. There will also be leaderboards that you can compete in, adding a social element to the tech.
It’s an interesting, if potentially niche idea, given that it requires you to play both physical and digital soccer to get most of the benefits, but at $35 / £29.95 (around AU$55) it won’t cost much to try Adidas GMR out, and it’s available now direct from the Adidas website (opens in new tab) and select Adidas stores.
It’s also a promising sign that connected clothing isn’t a dead category for Google and other brands, because as this shows, there’s plenty of potential in the area.
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