New wearable technology from Motus Global is designed to help baseball players optimize their performance and reduce their risk of injury. It also aims to address ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) issues that often impact pitchers at every level, from youth to major league, and can lead to reconstructive or “Tommy John” surgery. The technology is reportedly based on 4 years of technology development and one-on-one lab work with professional athletes.

A news release issued by the company states that the Motus Sleeve is engineered to acquire data through a 3D motion sensor that is embedded in a device the size of a thumb drive and placed on the player’s elbow via a pouch in the Motus Sleeve. Among pitchers, the data collected by the sensor is used to offer information such as arm speed, pitch counts, elbow torque on the UCL, elbow height, release point, and cumulative workloads. In batters, the data gathered by the device will be used to calculate swing metrics and then correlated to Motus’ comprehensive database to provide full body analytics.

The release notes that Motus uses its proprietary performance and injury forecasting models to evaluate each user’s pitching or batting mechanics and detect changes throughout a season, such as fatigue, which can lead to injury. Results are delivered via a smartphone app, along with individualized recommendations to help players improve their game.

Motus piloted the sleeve during the 2014 Fall Instructional League with nine Major League Baseball teams. The release reports that during a 4-week period, Motus generated a wide variety of discreet data points—more than the previous 4 years in the lab—and exhibited the Sleeve’s potential for providing critical information on athlete performance and staying power.

According to the release, the Motus Sleeve will be available to MLB and NCAA teams on a limited basis in February 2015. A consumer version for competitive baseball players of all ages and skill levels will be released shortly thereafter and available on the Motus website. Data collected by the device’s six accelerometers and gyroscopes will be transmitted live to Motus’ mobile app via Bluetooth or stored on the device for later wireless transmission if no mobile device is nearby.

In the release, the company notes it expects to release separate editions of the sleeve down the road for golf, tennis, lacrosse, basketball, football, and soccer that will be packaged with different compression sleeves depending upon the body segment to be measured.

Joe Nolan, CEO, Keith Robinson, CIO, and physical therapist Jason LaMendola founded Motus Global in 2010. The release adds that the company aims to apply motion analysis to identify anomalies in athletes’ technique that could be used to optimize their performance on the field, detect injury risk factors, and create quantifiable assessments for return to play after rehabilitation.

[Source: Motus Global]