Under Armour E39Well, actually I know the answer but if you’re interested in new wireless sensors for sport science then you’ll want to pay attention to the ongoing coverage of the NFL Combine.

Here’s an excerpt via NFL.com on the E39:
New to NFL Network’s Combine coverage this year is the UA E39, an Under Armour compression shirt fitted with electronic sensors that track the body’s natural motion and biometric signals, which are then sent to a tiny device on the front of the shirt. This device tracks and keeps all of the athlete’s critical data, including breathing rate, heart rate, horse power and G force generated. The UA E39 will give NFL general managers, coaches and scouts an unprecedented look at the athletes during their evaluations.

What I can tell you is that the E39 is a collaborative project between Under Armour and Zephyr Technology. Under Armour is supplying specially engineered compression shirts that accommodate wireless sensors provided by Zephyr Technology. Each one of these scientific setups will be worn by prospective NFL recruits as they go through the arduous testing of the NFL Combine. You’ll be able to see that data Live.

The details of the E39′s capabilities will sound familiar to you if you’ve read my Zephyr BioHarness review, where I demonstrated it capturing and remotely displaying variables such as heart rate, breath rate, skin temperature, ECG and activity levels. However, this is a brand new product from Zephyr, based on the technology found in the BioHarness and better suited for athletic applications. The details of this new device will be announced very soon.

Pretty exciting stuff to be able to see the correlating physiological data of each athlete as they go through the most famous physical fitness tests on the planet! Stay tuned, I’ll have a lot more on the E39 to announce very soon!

Here’s a video with Under Armour trainer Todd Durkin as he goes through some of the ways the E39 will be applied during the Combine:

Official E39 press release from February 24, 2011: UNDER ARMOUR POWERS NFL COMBINE WITH ZEPHYR TECHNOLOGY (PDF)

Edit: Some folks have emailed me about the pricing of the E39. Well, Under Armour is planning a retail version for 2012 with no clues now as to its price. There are currently 150 E39 units being used for this initial research phase, used in the NFL Combine and other sports technology projects. The concept is a solid one with years of research contributed by Zephyr’s FDA approved BioHarness used by US special forces, US pro sport teams, Chilean miner rescue effort and numerous academic studies. (case studies available at Zephyr’s web site) The E39 concept compression shirt from Under Armour uses Zephyr’s next generation BioHarness sensor module which will be made separately available very soon. Until that availability is officially announced, all I can say is that we can expect a competitive price below that of the current BioHarness ($710). Please read my BioHarness review for all its capabilities.