Research & validation
We prove it before we show it.
A wearable is only as useful as the trust staff can place in its numbers. BOUND keeps raw data, calibrates against reference equipment, labels every capability by status, and publishes its limits. V1 prototype boards are currently undergoing bench validation.
Validation roadmap
Each stage must pass before the next one means anything.
- In progressBenchElectronics and firmware behave as designed: every channel responds, data arrives complete and in order.
- NextLabInsole readings compared with reference force measurement under controlled movements.
- PlannedControlled fieldRepeatability on grass, in boots, through football-specific drills.
- PlannedPilotUsefulness and reliability in real squad training over weeks.
Current validation work
What we are testing now, and what comes next.
| Work | What it involves | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Prototype bench validation | V1 prototype boards are currently undergoing bench validation: every sensor channel responds and data arrives complete and in order. | In validation |
| Signal quality | Timestamps and sequence numbers on every raw sample, so gaps and dropouts are reported rather than hidden. | In validation |
| Calibration | A framework for turning raw readings into force exists. No calibration model is validated yet. | In validation |
| Real-world testing | Repeatability in boots, on grass and in squad training, once bench and lab stages pass. | Research / planned |
Calibrated against a reference
An insole sensor outputs a raw reading, not force. Turning one into the other needs a model checked against established equipment.
raw readings
e.g. force plate
fitted and tested
shown with its limits
Capability status
Everything BOUND does or plans to do, labelled.
| Capability | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure under the foot | Seven pressure-sensing zones per insole. Raw sensor values until calibration is validated. | In validation |
| Acceleration | A motion sensor per insole for movement context. V1 does not measure rotation. | In validation |
| Raw data capture & archive | Firmware and software that record raw readings and keep them alongside processed results. | Built |
| Phone recording | Sessions stored on the phone first, uploaded later. Not yet run with real insoles. | Built |
| Calibration to force | Framework exists; no model validated, so no force values are shown. | In validation |
| Foot contact timing | When each foot is on and off the ground, derived from pressure. | Research / planned |
| Left/right comparison | How loading differs between feet, against the player's own baseline. | Research / planned |
| Session loading | Accumulated ground loading across a session, alongside existing load measures. | Research / planned |
| Cutting, turning, kicking | Needs rotation sensing V1 lacks. A later hardware revision if field data justifies it. | Research / planned |
| Injury relationships | Whether any signal relates to availability or injury is an open research question. No claim is made. | Research / planned |
Research & analysis
Technical writing on player measurement, wearables and validation. Every piece cites its sources and separates evidence from our interpretation. How we check it.
- Discussion17 October 2026
How football clubs should evaluate new performance technology
Every vendor promises insight. Before a club signs, five questions separate a useful tool from an expensive distraction, and they apply to BOUND as much as anyone.
By BOUND Editorial
5 min - Deep Dive17 October 2026
What GPS still misses about football movement
Tracking systems are very good at telling you how far and how fast a player ran. Football is decided in the short, violent moments between those numbers, and that is where the measurement gets harder.
By BOUND Editorial
7 min - BOUND Paper17 October 2026
Why preserving raw pressure data matters in wearable sports technology
A wearable's numbers are only as trustworthy as the chain that produced them. For pressure insoles, that chain is long, imperfect and still poorly validated. Keeping the raw signal is how you keep it honest.
By BOUND Editorial
7 min
Our rules
Design the studies with us
We are looking for university labs, sports-science groups and club research departments to run independent validation studies.