Shenzhen RunTai Pioneers Digital Sports Service Platform with Scientific Training Solutions

Scientific exercise training requires a comprehensive monitoring system that covers the full spectrum of neural and muscular activity.

At the end of 2021, Su Bingtian, the holder of the Asian 100-meter record, proposed this view in his paper “Scientific Training Assistance: Applications of Flexible Wearable Sensors in Sports Monitoring,” focusing on human electrophysiological signal monitoring, photoelectric-based vital sign monitoring, and electrochemical sensing-based monitoring, and pointed out that:Exercise monitoring is a process of quantifying and analyzing relevant physiological indicators, which requires the integration of various flexible wearable motion sensors.Performance improvements in each type of sensor will lead to a leapfrog enhancement in the overall performance of the motion monitoring system, while also assisting athletes of different types in developing more scientific, personalized, and detailed training plans, thereby providing more rational technical guidance.

Among these, electromyographic (EMG) signals, as the electrical source generating muscle force, essentially reflect the motor status of nerves, bones, and muscles, constituting an irreplaceable component of electrophysiological assessment in motion monitoring. EMG signals are closely correlated with muscle activity and human movement. Early studies have demonstrated that EMG holds significant potential in applications such as kinematics, neural engineering, rehabilitation medicine, prosthetic control, and neural machine interfaces.

Currently, most of the equipment used in China consists of imported counterparts. Their high prices are one of the major obstacles hindering the further expansion of this technology’s application scope.

Shenzhen Runyi Taiyi Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Shenzhen Runtai”) is a technology-driven enterprise, recently identified by VCBeat, that specializes in innovations centered on the monitoring of exercise physiological parameters.The company’s products are characterized by “continuous monitoring of physiological signals and quantifiable assessment of functional parameters.” Its flagship products include EMG armbands, distributed wireless EMG acquisition systems, and high-density wireless EEG-EMG acquisition systems.

Shenzhen Runtai Distributed Multi-Channel Wireless EMG Acquisition System

Its eight-channel fabric armband utilizes conductive fabric electrodes and introduces innovations in garment-integrated wearable design. The fabric armband features built-in inertial sensors and, when connected to dedicated software, can simultaneously acquire 8-channel electromyography (EMG) and 9-axis gyroscope data to obtain real-time information on human limb movement status. Runtai’s technological products fill a domestic gap in China and are actively expanding their application fields with competitive pricing advantages.

Shenzhen Runtai Eight-Channel Fabric Arm Band

Shenzhen Runtai was established in 2017, with its founding team originally comprising key researchers from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The core team members have extensive research experience and academic accumulation in the field of sports health science, having completed multiple national key scientific research projects as project leaders.

The company’s employees are primarily recruited from Guilin University of Electronic Technology. Most of them are members of teams that have won second prize or higher in the RoboMaster Robotics Competition or the National Undergraduate Electronics Design Contest. It is a young and dynamic entrepreneurial team with an average age of only 26.

Yu Wenlong, General Manager of Shenzhen Runtai, told VCBeat“On one hand, the Shenzhen Runtai entrepreneurial team possesses a strong academic background, maintains continuous attention to academic frontiers, and collaborates with experts in the field to explore new advances in sports science. On the other hand, Shenzhen Runtai has an excellent engineering team capable of rapidly translating new achievements into new products. Furthermore, Shenzhen Runtai works closely with professional coaches and athletes from national and provincial teams, jointly applying new theories and technologies in training to rapidly enhance performance.”

Shenzhen Runtai has experienced rapid growth since its inception, driven by the team’s technical expertise and robust R&D capabilities. Within less than a year of establishment, this hard-tech team developed a wireless distributed electromyography (EMG) acquisition device, followed by successive launches of products such as a sports physiological parameter acquisition system and a high-density wireless electroencephalography (EEG)-EMG acquisition system.

After five years of development, Shenzhen Runtai has established its own advantages and distinctive features in the technology for detecting exercise physiological parameters. Among them,EMG engineering technology is one of the core technologies for sports physiological signal acquisition at Runtai Company.

Currently, Shenzhen Runtai has developed multiple EMG products.In 2018, Shenzhen Runtai released China’s first distributed electromyography (EMG) acquisition system. Tested by third-party testing agencies, the product system features ultra-low noise and an extremely high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR), with performance meeting or exceeding the nominal specifications of comparable foreign products.

In 2019, the product won first place nationwide in the Collaborative Control Category of the Army Equipment Department’s Exoskeleton Challenge.In 2020, the company launched China’s first distributed high-density wireless brain-muscle electrical product, becoming one of the few companies worldwide to master the technology for high-density wireless brain-muscle electrical acquisition systems.This product supports up to 256 channels. Based on the same hardware platform, it can be configured via software parameters to acquire and analyze either electroencephalogram (EEG) or electromyography (EMG) signals, and also enables simultaneous acquisition of EEG and EMG signals. In 2021, this product received the Outstanding Product Award at the 23rd China Hi-Tech Fair.

Research achievements have been rapidly commercialized. Yu Wenlong shared with VCBeat the core reason behind Shenzhen Runyi’s swift breakthroughs: “The key to rapidly applying new theories to training assistance, quickly expanding our product line, and achieving broad coverage of customer needs lies in Shenzhen Runyi’s mastery of core technologies and intellectual property rights for the acquisition and analysis of exercise physiological signals.”

Leveraging its accumulated expertise and technological advantages in sports physiological parameter technology, Shenzhen Runyi Taiyi Technology Co., Ltd. entered into a technical cooperation agreement with the Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau in 2021 to provide professional technical support and services for competitive sports training in the province.thereby entering the track of digital sports service platforms (Sports Coaching Platforms).

In response, Yu Wenlong stated“The digital sports service platform sector in China is still a rapidly emerging market, with competition currently dominated almost exclusively by foreign companies. As the sports industry becomes a new pillar of the economy, the digital sports market is poised to grow into a market worth hundreds of billions of yuan. At the heart of this transformation lies the digital sports service platform, which will fundamentally reshape competitive sports by driving wider participation in various sports, optimizing athlete selection and training, and enhancing sports rehabilitation. Shenzhen Runyi Taiyi is privileged to contribute its technology, products, and services to the development of sports in China through pioneering efforts that have built this capability from the ground up, establishing itself as a trailblazer in this sector.”

According to the latest overseas market research report, “Global Sports Coaching Platforms Market,” the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the digital sports service platform market in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China) is projected to reach 17.4% from 2020 to 2027.

It is understood that Shenzhen Runtai has initially completed the development of a digital training assessment system for sports such as weightlifting and rock climbing. Its products can accurately collect physiological electrical signals, temperature, mechanical forces, and movement trajectories in real time under various complex exercise conditions, thereby enabling comprehensive evaluation of athletes’ speed, strength, physical fitness, and other parameters during training. This assists coaches in promptly understanding athletes’ performance status and physical load, facilitating targeted training interventions to ultimately achieve better results.

Shenzhen Runtai’s products have undergone four months of on-site testing and service with relevant sports teams.

Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals are one of the key indicators of neuromuscular function in sports training, representing the core technology for high-density, high-precision, wireless, and portable EMG devices. Current applications of high-density sEMG focus on the examination of neuromuscular disorders, monitoring of exercise-induced fatigue, assessment of athletic training performance, and research into the relationship between physical activity and aging. The use of novel technical approaches such as EMG holds positive significance for enhancing the scientific rigor and rationality of training, improving athletes’ training efficiency, and preventing sports-related injuries.

Leveraging a suite of core underlying technology modules centered on physiological signal acquisition—including electromyography (EMG) acquisition and control modules, electrocardiography (ECG) acquisition and control modules, pulse wave modules, and infrared wireless temperature acquisition modules—Shenzhen Runtai will continuously iterate its product portfolio and expand its product lines. The company’s current offerings encompass basic scientific research, training assistance, services for enthusiasts, and mass-market health management, thereby meeting the diverse needs of customers across various segments on its digital sports service platform.

Moreover, Shenzhen Runtai has developed precise customer profiles for the target demographics of its products and services. Yu Wenlong stated that B-side clients include research institutions, competitive sports teams affiliated with the General Administration of Sport of China and provincial sports bureaus, as well as specialized or comprehensive sports venues. C-side clients primarily consist of competitive sports enthusiasts and coaches who serve this group.

Shenzhen Runyi Taiyi Technology Co., Ltd. will continue to focus on its B2B strategy through 2024, aiming to have its products featured at the 2024 Olympic Games. As wearable sensors and integration technologies continue to advance, the development of a multifunctional sports monitoring platform is becoming increasingly feasible. After 2024, the company will shift its focus to the consumer (C-end) market. Based on current revenue data, Shenzhen Runyi Taiyi anticipates that its sales performance will experience explosive growth after 2024 as it adjusts its strategic pace. Reportedly, after securing angel-round investment from Aoyin Capital in 2021, the company is now preparing for its second round of financing.