Discover how our small project’s journey to create the first Apple Watch app to measure barbell velocity and jump height has been.
It’s been two years and four months since we launched the first version of Spleeft for Android on September 13, 2021. Shortly thereafter, in February 2022, we made the leap to iOS. This first version measured barbell velocity only in squats and deadlifts using the MediaPipe vision model with the mobile phone’s camera.
The purpose of Spleeft is to bring to all athletes the ability to measure barbell velocity, at a much lower cost than other specific devices for this purpose, without sacrificing the reliability of our technology. We also don’t forget about the planet, as it’s much more efficient to make good use of the devices we already own.
After much learning and seeing proposals that better addressed the problem we came to solve, we decided to switch to measurement using the phone’s inertial sensors. These devices gave us the ability to work on phones with lower capacity and continue helping more people. We developed an algorithm capable of measuring vertical axis barbell velocity more reliably than other accelerometers available on the market. This version helped us secure our first 2,000 customers. Thus, little by little, we grew.
One day, while reviewing scientific literature to apply the latest trends, we came across the following article: “Velocity-Based Strength Training: The Validity and Personal Monitoring of Barbell Velocity with the Apple Watch.” It discussed the reliability of the Apple Watch and its validity for everyday use by athletes. Seeing that the algorithm’s framework matched ours, we decided to take the next step.
Today we present the extension of our app for the Apple Watch. A version that surpasses the mobile app in user experience and reliability, as its use is much more comfortable and versatile. This first version of Spleeft Watch allows you to measure barbell velocity or jump height from your wrist, always with the possibility of viewing the data in real-time on your mobile phone. Again, taking advantage of another technology already present on the wrists of many people.
We hope this is just the beginning of a flurry of news related to our new project.
If interested, you can download the app from the following link.
