这款瑜伽垫凭什么卖300美元？它号称能让你的姿势更完美

    一张300美元的瑜伽垫能改善你的下犬式（downward dog，一种瑜伽姿势——译注）瑜伽姿势吗？一家初创科技企业表示：它能。

    这张名为SmartMat、充满科技感的瑜伽垫是由三位创业者开发的。它号称是全球首张能通过智能手机或平板电脑向瑜伽练习者传输声音及影像提示，以帮助他们实现完美姿势的瑜伽垫。该公司现在已募得上万美元资金。

    它的工作原理是：在一张传统瑜伽垫中嵌入一层薄薄的压力传感器——这种传感器与智能手机或平板相联，针对练习者的姿势提供有声反馈。如果练习者能输入一些基本数据，如性别、身高、体重及臂展等可以让智能垫更好地了解其体型的信息，它就能达到最佳工作状态。SmartMat的创始人表示，无论是资深瑜伽迷还是初学者，都能有效使用它。

    该公司联合创始人尼玛•贾汉对《财富》杂志（Fortune）表示：“这并不是在垫子上标出几个点，然后说‘要做好下犬式，你的脚就该往这些地方放’那么简单。我们实际上是在开发一种学习引擎，它能了解使用者的习惯，随后根据使用者的需求来调整指令。”

    贾汉称，SmartMat不会取代教师，但它确实有助于改善瑜伽练习水平。

    贾汉表示：“密切了解自己的健康状况也是它的功能之一，电脑辅导和自我练习永远不能取代好教练。它只是一款锦上添花的工具而已。”

    如果你今天去众筹网站Indiegogo支持一下该公司的募资活动，那么你就只需花费297美元就可以购买一张。随着订单的不断增多，其价格可能涨到447美元。自9月末推出以来，SmartMat已经募得18.7万美元，远超当初设定的目标（11万美元）。它在众筹网站上吸引的投资者已经超过700人，募资活动将于10月30日结束。该公司希望能在2015年7月正式将这张垫子推向市场。

    SmartMat的价格远高于普通瑜伽垫。一般垫子的零售价都不到40美元，就算是露露柠檬 (Lululemon，专业瑜伽服装品牌——译注)出售的高端垫子，价格也不到100美元。

    不过SmartMat公司相信，那些热爱技术的运动爱好者非常愿意为这种专为运动者服务的新款神器掏腰包。美国目前有两千多万瑜伽练习者，全球的练习者更是数以亿计，因此它的潜在顾客群十分庞大。而且众所周知，运动爱好者一向都喜欢早早享用时髦昂贵的运动神器，以增强技巧，提高成绩，比如能进行GPS定位的运动手表，以及Nike+这类能密切跟踪运动者成绩和表现的移动应用。

    SmartMat不光是引发媒体关注而已，零售商也希望它能尽快上市。

    贾汉称：“除了苹果公司（Apple）以外，你能想到的所有公司都联系过我们了。”

    贾汉的创业伙伴山姆•马克斯曾供职于一家生产电子香烟的公司。该公司后来被罗瑞拉德公司（Lorillard）和雅虎公司（Yahoo）前高管马扎尔•萨德里收购。这两位创业者表示，除了这张智能瑜伽垫之外，该公司还打算推出更多旨在提高健身体验的产品，所以他们非常希望它能够打响第一炮。

    贾汉称：“本公司的最终目标是为运动者创造一种个人化的运动体验。通过测量各种运动指标，我们将帮助运动者逐步提高锻炼成效。”（财富中文网）

    译者：清远

    Can a nearly $300 yoga mat help improve your downward dog? A tech startup is saying yes, it can.

    SmartMat, a tech-infused yoga mat developed by three entrepreneurs, is raising thousands of dollars by claiming to be the world’s first mat that can help users achieve that perfect pose with audio and visual cues sent via a smartphone, or tablet.

    Here’s how it works: The SmartMat has a layer of thin pressure sensors embedded within a traditional yoga mat — sensors that link with a smartphone or tablet to provide vocal feedback about your poses. The mat will work best if users input some basic details, such as gender, height and weight, as well as arm span measurements and other details that can help the mat get a better sense of the yogi’s body type. SmartMat’s founders claim the mat can be used effectively by both enthusiastic yogis and beginners.

    “It isn’t just a matter of plotting points on the mat and saying ‘This is where your feet go for downward dog,’ we are actually in the process of creating a learning engine,” co-founder Neyma Jahan told Fortune. “It learns about the user and tailors its practice to the needs of that user.”

    Jahan said the SmartMat won’t replace teachers, but it can help improve the yoga practice.

    “Tracking your fitness is part of the equation, having intuitive coaches can never be replaced with the computer and a person’s own drive,” Jahan said. “SmartMat is adding a tool to the tool belt.”

    The fancy yoga mat would cost a consumer $297 if they back the Indiegogo campaign today, a price that could increase to as high as $447 as more orders come in. Launched in late September, SmartMat has already raised over $187,000, more than the stated $110,000 goal. The campaign on the crowdfunding website, which has already courted over 700 funders, ends on Oct. 30. SmartMat is hoping to ship the mats in July 2015.

    SmartMat’s price is far higher than that of a traditional yoga mat. Yoga mats generally retail for under $40, and even premium-priced mats sold by Lululemon LULU 3.00% retail for less than $100.

    But the SmartMat is a bet that tech-loving athletes are willing to open their wallets for the latest athletic-focused gadget. More than 20 million Americans practice yoga, with millions more involved in the practice internationally, so there are already a lot of consumers that participate in the activity. And athletes are known to embrace fancy and often pricey tech gadgets to enhance their technique and improve their performance — devices such as GPS-enabled watches, and mobile apps such as Nike+ to track their progress and keep tabs on how well they are performing.

    The SmartMat isn’t just generating interest in the media, retailers are also hoping to get on board.

    “Everybody you can think of has already contacted us,” Jahan said. “Everyone except Apple.”

    Jahan founded SmartMat with Sam Marks, who previously worked at an e-cigarette company that was acquired by Lorillard LO 0.85% , and former Yahoo YHOO 0.37% executive Maziar Sadri. The entrepreneurs are hopeful the mat is the first of many fitness-focused advancements they hope to bring to market.

    “The ultimate goal for our company is to go and create a personalized fitness experience,” Jahan said. “We are measuring output and helping [people] make incremental improvements in their performance.”