Moticon starts research project and receives innovation funding for developing groundbreaking sports reference database from Bavarian State Government
(Munich, 21.02.2023) For coaches in performance sports it is mandatory to be able to continuously check and compare individual performance data regarding the athletes progress. Currently applied testing methods require manual recording of results or complex and expensive technology. General reference values for different sports are not yet available due to a deficiency in standardization. Moticon is closing this gap with the development of a reference database for athletic performance tests based on its intelligent sensor insoles and therefore receives an innovation funding of €40,000 from the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy.
Moticon itself will be contributing a six-figure sum to the international research project, which will be taking part in collaboration with the Institute of Sports Science at the University of Southern California, USA, and the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Austria. Data collection for the development of this globally unique reference database will start already in March and will be a great investment in the future of performance sports. The data will be collected using “ReGo” technology, a cloud-based solution for fully automated testing. It has been available on the market since the beginning of 2022. “ReGo” includes sensor insoles and an app and can be used at any location with minimal effort. A total of several hundred athletes from different disciplines, ages and performance levels will be tested. In addition to soccer, volleyball or basketball, athletes from less common sports such as ski jumping and strongman will also participate in the data collection to spread the spectrum as wide as possible.
From a scientific product to intelligent sensor insole for all performance levels
Moticon has reached a major turning point. The Munich-based company is known as an industry leader with its “OpenGo” product line for use in clinical research and professional sports, which was launched back in 2012. The relevance has been documented in around 90 scientific publications so far. National and international industry leaders such as the Nike Research Lab, Novartis, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the German Ski Association are among the group of customers, as well as some of the world’s leading universities, including Charité Berlin and Stanford University, USA.
High-precision measurement technology – easy and intuitive to use
In future, this database will provide coaches with access to standardized benchmarks for key performance parameters. As a result, a broad user group of around 100,000 coaches and sports physiotherapists from all leagues and of all clinic sizes throughout Germany will gain access to objective, cost-effective and location-independent analyses for the first time in sports history. Until now, such access was almost exclusively available to elite sports. At the same time, this also opens up new possibilities for seasonal performance tests in sports clubs, in prevention as well as for medical tests in rehabilitation centers and even for telemedical applications with biofeedback training. The research results collected will enable junior U19 soccer players, for example, to compare their reactive jumping power, which is crucial when jumping for a header, directly in the app with international best values for the same age group. “The benefits that the project will bring to the field will initiate a small revolution in many disciplines of sport,” predicts Moticon CEO Dr. Maximilian Müller. “The possibility to put personal test results of athletes in context with international standards and directly receive suggestions for specific interventions and training programs is what makes “ReGo” an essential tool for coaches and therapists in all performance levels even up to amateur sports.” Müller’s vision is to use “ReGo” to establish a digital trainer assistant for athletes’ entire careers as the industry standard.
High-tech from Bavaria – regional and from a single source from production to customer service
Since 2012, Moticon has established a reputation as the leading provider of professional measurement technology for mobile gait analysis of the lower extremities with its completely wireless sensor insoles in the field of research. CEO Dr. Maximilian Müller, himself an engineer for mechanical engineering, product development and sports equipment development, is not only a man with big goals and ideals, but also a true and genuine pragmatic problem solver. His products are supposed to ” provide real benefits”. Dr. Maximilian Müller intends to do nothing less than “revolutionize performance sports with his products.” His new product line “ReGo” and the reference database are a clear step towards this vision. In the past, only large professional clubs could afford appropriate measurement technology for training optimization and rehabilitation. With “ReGo”, Moticon is now launching an age in which important performance measurement results and the corresponding knowledge will also be accessible to small sports clubs and practices. For CEO Dr. Maximilian Müller, his ideas for a fair, sustainable and innovative company also includes on-site production in Munich. Here, the “ReGo” and “OpenGo” product lines are manufactured according to high quality standards.
