01
The Problem
In clinic, movement can be watched and corrected. But when people exercise alone, that feedback often disappears.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND BACKAWARE
The Science of
Better Movement
BackAware turns movement into feedback you can see and feel. Developed from physiotherapy, biomechanics and real-world coaching, it is designed to help people better understand and control how they move during exercise.
FOUNDER STORY
From Physiotherapy Clinic to BackAware
The idea began with a problem seen repeatedly in practice: feedback is easy to give while a clinician is beside you. It is much harder to carry that feedback into every repetition at home.
02
The Idea
The question became simple: could a wearable make back movement easier to understand while someone was exercising?
03
Early Prototypes
We experimented with sensors, wiring, belt shapes and ways of measuring movement without turning the product into a rigid brace.
04
Turning Data into Feedback
Raw sensor numbers were not enough. The information had to become immediate, intuitive feedback a person could use during a repetition.
05
BackAware Today
BackAware now combines movement sensing, visual feedback, vibration feedback and guided exercise in one system.
THE CENTRAL IDEA
Why Feedback Matters
We learn movement through information about what happened. BackAware adds real-time visual and vibration cues to that learning loop.
1
Move
2
Receive Feedback
3
Adjust
4
Repeat
5
Learn
Feedback + rehabilitation
The Role of Feedback in Back Pain
The aim is not to tell everyone there is one perfect way to move. Feedback can instead make movement more understandable, support practice and help a person explore or control movement during rehabilitation.
Improve movement awareness
Make spinal movement easier to recognise while an exercise is happening.
Build confidence with practice
Clear information can make exercise feel less uncertain when returning after pain.
Support motor learning
Practise, receive feedback, adjust and repeat.
RESEARCH PAPERS
Sensor feedback vs physiotherapist feedback
Yeldan et al., 2024. In 38 people with chronic non-specific low-back pain, both groups improved across pain, disability and muscle-activity outcomes.
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RESTORE: CFT with or without movement sensors
Kent et al., 2023. Both CFT groups outperformed usual care, but movement-sensor biofeedback did not add a clear benefit over CFT alone.
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Motion-sensor biofeedback pilot trial
A 2015 pilot trial reported sustained improvements favouring individualised movement retraining with motion-sensor feedback versus the control condition.
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Important: these studies investigated other feedback systems or rehabilitation approaches. They support the broader scientific rationale for feedback and movement retraining; they are not clinical trials of BackAware itself.
TECHNIQUE + MUSCULAR DEMAND
The Role of Feedback in Muscle Activation
Exercise technique can alter movement strategy and muscular demand. BackAware does not measure EMG; it provides movement feedback that a person can use to change how an exercise is performed.
Technique influences demand
Changes in joint position or movement strategy can alter which muscles contribute most.
Feedback helps refine movement
Users can see or feel when the back leaves a chosen range and adjust during the repetition.
Make intent easier to practise
The target becomes something the user can interact with rather than relying only on internal feel.
RESEARCH PAPERS
Feedback during the clam exercise
Koh et al., 2016. In 16 people with low-back pain, palpation plus visual feedback was associated with greater gluteus maximus EMG activity and less pelvic rotation.
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Feedback in resistance training
Weakley et al., 2023. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies found augmented feedback improved several acute training-performance outcomes.
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Concurrent visual EMG feedback
A controlled study reported acute increases in strength and selected muscle activation when participants saw concurrent EMG feedback.
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Important: an EMG study showing that feedback can influence activation does not mean BackAware has been proven to increase activation by the same amount. The mechanism and feedback signal are different.
How the product communicates
See It. Feel It. Correct It.
BackAware combines visual and vibration feedback so information can stay available during real exercise rather than only during a supervised appointment.
See It
Real-time visual feedback makes position and movement range easier to understand.
Feel It
Vibration can alert the user when movement travels outside the selected range.
Correct It
Use the feedback to make an adjustment and repeat the movement.