Swimming

INCUS|NOVA Wereable

January 7, 2021 Ingus

Courtecy: INCUS Performance

Not a long time ago to correct a swimming technique of an athlete coaches did it by visually surveying the swimmers or they filmed the swimmers and did a video analasys. The video analysis softwares provide functionality to measure angles of hands, feet, rotational angles and many other useful metrics. It is totally useful and needed especially for higher level athletes, nevertheless, the analysis can be done after the training or if it’s done during the training than big brakes had to be included. Additionally, it was costly (camera, software etc.) as well as the logistic side was challanging (filming, analysis with the software etc.).

The 21st century came with a technological progress and it continues with an enormous pace. As technologies progress also the swimming equipment and tools for swim training progress and become more sophisticated. Technical tools were technically difficult to use, were time consuming and costly, now become more and more affordable and user friendly. One such tool is the INCUS|NOVA – the ultimate endurance sports wereable.

Description of INCUS|NOVA

INCUS|NOVA is a new wearable system which generates applied analytics and guides training. It provides real-time vibration feedback. It’s invented by Christopher Ruddock. He discribes his backgroung: “I’d consider myself a design engineer by training – this essentially means I’m a mechanical/ manufacturing engineer, but I bring this together with skills in visual and user-centric design to create products that not only work on a technical level, but look and feel great for a user.”

Where did the idea come from? “After a bad ear infection, I lost the hearing in my left ear, which made me acutely aware of the importance of communication when training for and participating in sport. This was what planted the seed for INCUS – a system that could improve communication in training through numbers rather than through verbal feedback.”

On their website the manufacturer description of INCUS|NOVA: “Clear, performance-enhancing training feedback, wherever you are, immediately. One device. Seamless, world-first Triathlon analytics at your fingertips. Simple.”

Standard manufacturer price for INCUS|NOVA core swim or core run bundle – £199.99 (Eur 225), £299.99 (Eur 337) for swim run bundle and £499.99 (Eur 562) for trisport bundle.

Key Specs of INCUS|NOVA (swim)

Body pitch & Roll angles
First ever left/right analysis
True pacing&Cadence
Automated session structuring
Distance and split times. Reliably recognises your sets, reps, and lengths. CLOUD organises and clearly shows all detailed metrics for you on your smartphone, within moments. Advanced classification algorithms detect when you’re swimming or not, automatically. You can now forget about the tech, focus on your swim and rely on accurate timings no matter what.
Velocity gain & insights. Measures the ratio of propulsive (forward) to drag (resistive) accelerations as you swim through the water. This objective measure shows your resulting gain or loss in speed per stroke, so you can know what’s working and what’s not.
Insights. Crunch the numbers for you, exploring the interrelations between metrics to show what they mean and how you can improve them. We show these in simple, written statements and graphics.
Battery life: 20+ hours swim

Reviews about INCUS|NOVA

Here I gathered different reviews about INCUS|NOVA wereable from different sources. I hope it will help you form your impression about the INCUS|NOVA wereable.

Video on the Youtube channel “Titanium Geek“, dated September 27, 2020

Review on the “220triathlon” website, dated November 6, 2019.
Short summary: A clever innovation with practical appeal for all swimmers 88%.

Review on the “Wareable” website, dated October 5, 2019.
Short summary: In its current form, the apparel feels comfortable, and the data feels unique (and insightful), but I can’t help thinking that to get the most from Incus you’ll need to have a coach that can put that data to good use so you know where to go next.