Ralph Lauren is getting into wearable tech with specially made shirts for U.S. Open ball boys. The Polo Tech shirts contain conductive sliver threads and sensors that measure everything from the ball boys’ heart rate, breathing, and stress level.
Ralph Lauren says that the shirts were made with Canadian wearable company OMsignal, which is known for its bio-sensing smart workout shirts. Of course, Ralph Lauren designed the shirts to match its signature style. The form-fitting black polos feature the iconic bright yellow polo player on the right side of the shirt. The special edition Polo Tech shirts for the ball boys also sport the U.S. Open logo on the left side.
Related: OMsignal’s biometric workout gear will push you to do one more rep
OMsignal’s tech lies inconspicuously underneath Ralph Lauren’s design. The Polo Tech shirts feature a slew of sensors, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, breathing sensor, and a three leads ECG. The shirt also contains a black box, which transmits the user’s data into the cloud, where it is analyzed by OMsignal’s algorithms to determine several key biometrics, including heartbeat and breathing rate. The wearer’s stress level and amount of energy exerted are also listed.
The shirt sends all the biometric and psychometric data to an iPhone app in real time, so that the wearer can see analysis of his performance. When the shirts are worn by athletes, the data can also be sent to their coach, medical staff, and others who might benefit from the data.
Ralph Lauren added that number one singles player in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Marcos Giron will wear the Polo Tech shirt during practice, as will select ball boys during several matches at the U.S. Open. The company did not say when the Polo Tech shirt will go on sale to customers, nor did it mention any specific price.
