Today we have the honor of interviewing Kim Brouzes, CEO of Kinmetrix, a company that built a neck strengthening machine called the Kinmetrix Arc which collects data.
As illustrated below, Kinmetrix Arc is revolutionizing athletic performance with cutting-edge technology designed to enhance training and recovery. Their innovative equipment offers comprehensive monitoring and precise analytics, empowering athletes to achieve peak performance. With options for outright purchase or flexible leasing plans, Kinmetrix Arc is tailored to meet the diverse needs of sports professionals and teams.
Picture: Kinmetrix Arc
The Kinmetrix Arc has been used by top athletes such as Nick Foligno (Chicago BlackHawks/NHL).
Picture: Kinmetrix Arc, used by NHL player Nick Foligno (Chicago BlackHawks/NHL).
Here is a video showcasing Kinmetrix Arc:
Video: Kinmetrix Arc
Kinmetrix Arc has already gained lots of interest from pro teams in the NFL/NHL as well as top athletes.
📝Show Notes: Through this interview, we touched on the background of the Kinmetrix Arc. Then we discussed the company and the Kinmetrix Arc, the benefits for teams to use such product. We also talked about their competitive advantage, their business model, and their plans for the next 12 months.
You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Kim located at the top of this blog post.
Here are some of the best quotes of our conversation with Kim:
On the background of the Kinmetrix Arc:
“It originated in Eastern Canada. Dr. Bill Smith is a brilliant chiropractor in Eastern Canada and much like myself I am a sports therapist from Sudbury, Ontario. So we, and many clinicians, have had the same problem where we know that, if there's an ACL injury, we know how to rehab and ease and strengthen the leg”.
“But over the last few decades, when it comes to an injury involving the neck, there has not been a real good platform and a safe, consistent platform that allows us to strengthen the neck, whether it's in a baseline format, a post injury, or a preventative platform for that matter. So, Bill noticed that there was a problem in the ability to strengthen the neck”.
“We are building these monsters from the shoulders down. We're making them faster. We're making them stronger and more powerful, but there isn't a solution and wasn't a solution for the neck. So Bill married the robotics and sensors and created at the time a company called Nektronics, and designed a strengthening device that could both assess the strengths or weaknesses (of the neck) and at the same time, solve the problem by strengthening it both isometrically and isokinetically. And in the last year, we have moved that company to Sudbury, Ontario, where I'm located. And now we have rebranded the company as Kinmetrix”.
On their main product the Kinmetrix Arc:
“We're a sports technology company, and we're focused on enhancing athletic performance and safety through the innovative hardware that the device has and the software solutions that we've created for our flagship product, which is the Kinmetrix Arc. It uses advanced robotics, sensors and our proprietary software to assess and strengthen (the neck), and essentially just protect the athletes, particularly in high risk sports”.
“We're combining science, engineering and data, and we're going to use this device to empower athletes and the teams, and the stakeholders and everybody that's involved in keeping these athletes in the game and their professional careers. But me as a clinician and as a mother, I'm also passionate about keeping these athletes safe enough to grow old, enjoy their families and their grandchildren”.
On the Kinmetrix Arc’s ability to collect data and establish a baseline for concussions for each athletes:
“So our software is designed around very detail oriented movements. We are able to choose what we call a “challenge weight”. So let's say for example, Nick Foligno, a pro NHL player, is in the device and I've created a challenge weight of three kilograms in neck flexion. I'm going to be able to determine how many degrees of movements, and what the arc angle is going to be. I can also determine where on the forehead, let's say the resistance, it is going to be placed and the weight of that resistance. Now, if Nick is able to push seven kilograms of force in forward flexion, that is now going to be considered our target weight. So we can assess to create a baseline”.
“Now imagine that every team that is allowed will be able to do a baseline for concussions. They'll do preseason medicals and preseason fitness. Today teams can already do VO2 max testing. They can do mid thigh pulls and they can do oxygen utilization testing. So they know all about the physiology and the mechanics and the ability of the athletes’ body except for their neck. So we're going to be able to do the same. We're going to be able to do the baseline test. We're going to be able to tell the team, whether it's the strength and conditioning coach, the team, the therapist, or the owner, the agent, what the data is around that neck, and in all six cardinal movements. We can do it through 72 degree arc full range of motion”.
“We can take data both from an isometric contraction to a full range of motion and we can marry that with the ability to add velocity. That way we can see that an athlete is strengthening, and we can add a speed component and collect every single amount of data that we can take. If Nick Foligno does one test and then a week later, he's doing a strengthening protocol, which is tailored to him, they can basically superimpose both those graphs to see that Nick is in fact improving in that range and in that strength. So the data collection is very unique. And we believe it's the only device in the world that can collect the data to that precise precision”.
“Our data is accurate and consistent. When you place an athlete in the Kinmetrix Arc it is done all through the software, and we know that that particular athlete is going to work out or strengthen in the exact range with the exact same challenge every single time unless obviously the user decides to change that. By being able to promise that and provide that guarantee means that that data for the first time is going to meet meta analysis, and it's going to be consistent enough for us to collect what's called a normative data pool”.
On the fact that the Kinmetrix Arc is the world’s first device capable of collecting the normative data of a healthy neck:
“The other thing that we've learned in this is that there is no pool of data in the world that collects the normative data of a healthy neck. I was speaking with an NHL team this past weekend, talking to the strength and conditioning team. And the head trainer said to me, “well, how do I know if my athlete has a strong neck? And I'm like, you don't. And he's like, Hmm. And I'm like.. that's what this device is for. It is going to allow all our researchers, all our hospitals, and all our teams to do this baseline testing and say, okay, well, this rookie isn't meeting the baseline requirements to be safe enough to get access to a game”.
“So we do something called pre employment testing in the Ock Health world where we can then tell an employer that this particular person is worth hiring because they meet the baseline requirements to either push, pull step, climb, sit, whatever it is and we can give that extra layer of protection to that employer that this person will be able to do that”.
“We can't do that for the neck currently. So we don't know if somebody comes off of three concussions or a motor vehicle accident, and whether or not they've regained the strength that they have because of that healing response to say, okay, you know what, this athlete is right back where he/she should be. This athlete meets the baseline requirements. This athlete is as strong if not stronger than everybody else on this team. Go ahead and put his/her in the lineup tomorrow. The Kinmetrix Arc is the only device that's going to be able to do that and ensure that the quality and safety of those athletes”.
On the benefits for the teams to use the Kinmetrix Arc such as establish the baseline for each athlete and create custom strength training protocols:
“It is a strengthening device. It's sexy. It's sleek. It looks beautiful no matter where you place it in the facilities but the important piece is not just the fact that there's a tangible item that you can touch and feel and work with, but the software is also the key here. With that software, I tell the teams that we can baseline test their athletes, and it can be added to their fitness, pre season medicals and testing. We can now get some key information about the athletes’ neck . We know that VO2 Max testing is important, as well as oxygen utilization testing, and how high they can jump, how much they can bench press. These are all important factors, but we want this device to be part of that process”.
“Then you take that information. And if everybody passes, great. If you have athletes that don't meet the metrics and don't meet the target, then we can create custom strength training protocols. That allows that athlete to get to where they're supposed to be to keep themselves safe. And those custom assessments and custom protocols are things that are shareable. You can watch them progress. Kinmetrix Arc can create charts that are easy to extract information”.
“Strength and conditioning coaches can now tell that an athlete is in fact improving. We now know that athletes are starting to meet the target of the other players that we're also looking at. We will be able to answer questions such as: Is there a difference between handedness? Is there a difference between players who play defense Vs offense? Is there a difference between swimmers and rugby players? We can now create that data pool so everyone can use it”.
“The other day we were talking to former NHL player Gary Roberts and Gary is going to get a device in April 2025. And the reason he wants it in April is because he wants to program this machine into the programming that he's going to give to the 80 athletes that he's going to have this summer. So it's a tool that we're using as part of a program for athletes. But as a clinician in my industry what this device can do is strengthen the athletes’ neck and prevent injuries”.
On how often athletes need to use the Kinmetrix Arc and the duration of each session:
“So the device in the assessment mode does flexion extension and side bending. We do it isometrically isokinetically. So you can actually do an assessment in about five to seven minutes. Now, when we create the customized program to strengthen it that clinician can then choose”.
“Depending on whether you are working on one muscle group or multiple muscle groups, each session would be between five and twenty minutes and it would be one to two times a week in order to enhance the strength of those muscle groups”.
On what the athletes and teams like the most about the Kinmetric Arc:
“They are really intrigued by the fact that the device is very smooth and it has both audible cues and verbal feedback. It also has lights that tell the athlete when the next audible cues are, when the next rep is coming, and it has robotics that swing the sensor to that place”.
“And the Kinmetrix Arc has no plates. There's no fans. There's no cable systems. This is a complete neck strengthening device and it's all done within the machine and an iPad with this software. So that piece in itself is very advanced from a technology perspective and from a strengthening perspective. There isn't a device that looks like this or works like this. So that's one piece of feedback. But by using all that information and how well it works is also the fact that they are going to see for the first time ever data around the neck”.
“We challenged Nick Foligno back a couple weeks ago with the three kilograms inflection extension right and left side bending. I called him the next day and I said, “Nick, how does your neck feel? And his response to me was surprising. He's like, “I'm actually a little bit sore and it made him realize that he has some work to do around strengthening his neck to make him safer. And I'm like, yes, honey, you do. So it's that data that is critical”.
“So we're going to be able to give the Chicago BlackHawks (NHL) what he did with me throughout the summer and overlay these graphs and these charts and this information to say, this is where Nick started and this is where Nick is currently. He's all yours and the Chicago BlackHawks will be getting a device in early December. So they'll be able to continue his strengthening protocols and obviously get the rest of the Chicago Blackhawks squad in the device for us, which is great”.
On their competitive advantages compared to other neck strengthening systems:
“So right now, currently, a lot of the research around neck strengthening has occurred around a contraption that somebody has made in their garage or outfitted or retrofitted something that was similar. A lot of them are pulley systems, which you see in a gym, like a cable system or a plated system where you move the little key to increase one pound to two pounds to 10 pounds. And those devices are not accurate, but they're not precise enough. So we're not taking an athlete from one pound to 10 pounds, because that's all my machine does. Can move in terms of the weight system. There is no weight system. It is not a balance system”.
“The Kinmetrix Arc is not a force plate, which we see a lot out there right now. These force plates that are measuring how the body is standing and how it's moving and all those kinds of things. The Kinmetrix Arc is as precise as typing in 3 kilograms, 3. 2 kilograms, 4 kilograms and it is a robotic device that responds to what we put in as a measurement, as small of a measurement increase, to as large of a measurement increase, up to I believe 300 pounds”.
“So it's the only device in the world that can be that precise. That way, in an injured tissue where we don't want to increase by 10 kilograms, we can safely and accurately increase the measurements as little as we need to. So, the competitive advantage that we have is the fact that it is a physical device. It has a floor print of about 4 feet by 2 feet. So it is something that you would expect to see in a gym. It's not a piece of equipment that you attach to an existing exercise equipment. It is a standalone device that has a chair”.
“We have a harness that crosses over the shoulders and fastens at the chest and the waist, and that will limit the amount of trunk involvement so that you can't cheat. So it is as pure of a movement that is physically possible and that harness allows for obviously pure cervicogenic movements. So that's another competitive edge”.
And the fact that our device is going to allow for system upgrades, software upgrades, and anything that we change will allow the owner and the user to get with their subscription model”.
On the fact the Kinmetrix Arc can be used across a large variety of sports (hockey, wrestling, rugby, basketball, American football, soccer, gymnastics, etc.) and by male and female athletes/teams:
“So we used to think that concussions was a problem of the male world because of their strength. And we used to think that it was especially an issue, like you said, in sports such as American football, rugby and hockey. And now with the companies that are donating brains posthumously, we are seeing it in our 17 year old hockey players. We're seeing it in our 28 year old female rugby players. We're seeing it in children. So although we are going to identify the problems easier and quicker in our high risk, high contact, high combat sports like rugby, boxing, and soccer with heading the ball”.
“But there are things that we don't think about, in sports like gymnastics, where athletes are falling right from high beams and they're falling on their necks. Another example are Formula One racers that have to be able to have their head on a swivel and those impacts are not small. They're crushing into barricades and walls. We are also seeing issues in military pilots. So there really isn't a sport or an activity that wouldn't benefit from having a strong neck. We're even seeing it as a generational thing”.
“We want to introduce our device to children as they start to hit and all the way through their professional careers, and I would say through girls and boys, women and men, all the way from sports like gymnastics, wrestling, rugby, basketball, football, etc. I really can't say that there would be one sport that wouldn't require an improvement in neck strength”.
On their pricing and business models:
”We've decided to do a subscription based model that will cover both the hardware and the software components, allowing for ongoing updates as we are going to continue to create bigger and better solutions for problems as they arrive”.
“So it's going to be able to create a support network as part of the package. We're pricing it so that it depends on factors such as installation location, number of users, number of devices, that kind of thing. So we have flexibility in our subscription model which is designed to be flexible with the needs of the clients in real time”.
“We are charging a monetary amount per month as opposed to a real heavy, onboarding fee at the beginning. And we want to make sure that our clients are getting the greatest and the latest in the tech as we design it. We want it to be less about the upfront costs for the user and for the team”.
On their plans for the next 12 months:
“So right now we have four devices that are coming out in early December. One is going to the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL). Gary Roberts, as I mentioned before, is also getting one. Dr Charles Tator at UHN is very interested in spearheading some research for us at UHN. And then Dr Christopher Tangen, who is involved with the Cleveland Browns (NFL). We're hoping to be able to get one machine in the football world”.
“Currently we're taking pre orders and we are open to that and obviously creating proposals so that teams and stakeholders can understand a little bit more about our business. We are definitely in a growth phase”.
“So that's basically where we're going over the next 12 months. Research and data collection is going to be a huge portion of that. We want to get an idea of what we don't know. And that's the big thing in the data collection world. We're going to spend the next 12 months getting these devices out, learning what we don't know, understanding what a weak neck is, understanding what a strong neck is, and getting that information out there for researchers, research facilities, allowing people to maybe do more grant work, all those things, and getting that normative data pool going. So we're looking at pre orders, getting the devices into the teams in the hands of clinicians”.
On the best way to reach out to the Kinmetrix team to learn more about their product:
“They can reach out to us by visiting www.kinmetrix.com. They have my entire board is there. They can reach out to me personally, as well as Lisa Aho, Bernie Aho, and then Dr. Dennis Reich were on there. They can also reach us through you. They can also reach me through my email address, which is Kim@kinmetrix.com. We would be happy to answer any questions that any teams may have”.
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⭐Upside Chat with Kim Brouzes, CEO of Kinmetrix, a Company that Built a Neck Strengthening Machine that Collects Data.