People are becoming more health-conscious. Many are taking physical activity a step further by participating in multiple competitive sports. The number of marathon runners in the US has increased by 140% since 1990, while the number of triathletes rose 59% from 2008 to 2011. Nearly all of these new, modern athletes use some kind of tracking device to help gauge their training.

Smartphones and smartwatches provide a computing platform for activities, but they require sensors to measure and produce motion statistics. Because there is a vast variety of movements associated with different sports (running, biking, tennis, rowing), most companies produce multiple single-purpose sensors for each activity. This model is inconvenient and not cost-efficient for the consumer.

SoundOfMotion has engineered the first 3Dmotion Smart Sensor that utilizes Earth’s magnetic field to provide accurate metrics for multiple sports. The company has launched a $50,000 Indiegogo campaign with products set to ship to backers beginning April 2016.

“I’ve always been passionate about sports and active lifestyle.” said Vlad Savchenko, the inventor and founder of SoundOfMotion.

“While attempting to track and measure my performance I ended up with a bag of sensors: foot pod for running and X-country skiing, speed and cadence for cycling, one for tennis, one for golf, two for swimming and three for rowing. Why can’t I have one sensor which reliably measures all my activities?”

3Dmotion from SoundofMotion on Vimeo.

There are many motion sensors on the market. Most use an accelerometer, or gyro, or both. SoundofMotion’s 3Dmotion Smart Sensor uses Earth magnetic field sensing technology to provide a single, consistent motion detection multi-sport sensor platform for many lifestyle activities. It can measure speed and cadence while running or cycling, kicks while swimming, strokes while rowing or paddling, and swings while golfing or playing tennis.

The 3Dmotion Smart Sensor also detects the angles of pivotal motion. In contrast to the traditional accelerometer or gyro, sensors utilizing Earth’s magnetic field consume very little power and are not susceptible to error caused by extraneous vibrations. Furthermore, SoundofMotion’s firmware can be updated instantly, so athletes can switch between different activities in seconds.

The sensor provides different mechanical mounting options for shoes, limbs, oars, paddles and other equipment, amounting to an inexpensive $50 platform for developers to constantly innovative new applications for different sports.

SoundOfMotion Technologies Inc. was founded in 2007 by Vlad Savchenko, a multi-sport athlete who has 25 years of experience in IT and holds multiple patents related to various sensing technologies. SoundofMotion’s investors include Swiss entrepreneur and co-owner of BMC pro cycling team, Andy Rihs.