Hexoskin wearable technology helps elite athletes, astronauts

A Montreal company has developed a specialized line clothing called Hexoskin that's capable of sending data about your body's vital signs directly to an app, a feature that's being sought after by Olympians, astronauts and even regular people coping with common medical conditions.

The CBC's David Common travelled to a Montreal gym that doubles as Hexoskin's research grounds to see what the app was capable of, though its creators already have the proof they need in the gold and silver medals won by the Dufour-Lapointe sisters at the Sochi Olympics.

The Olympians wore Hexoskin shirts — which track G-forces experienced by the body as well as heart and breathing rates — while they were training for the Games. Paul Gagné, one of their coaches, got them set up with the equipment.

"For a coach, it's the ideal technology ... it's like I'm inside your body," Gagné said.

The founders of Carré Technologies, who invented the technology, say they're hoping to adapt the technology so it can be used by Canadians with heart conditions.

Carré Technologies has also accepted research and development funding from the Canadian Space Agency, which is interested in finding unobtrusive ways to monitor the bodily functions of its astronauts.

For more information about Hexoskin, including a look at how it's being used to rehabilitate an NHL player, check out David Common's video above.