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Today, we’re going to introduce RHOMB, a provider of a premium body composition scale. Let’s hear from Choi Myong-hwan, a director in charge of product development. 

A group of people who were interested in starting their own business entered InBody, a producer of healthcare equipment and devices, in July of 2017. They learned management skills as well as the company’s technology and development expertise until they set up their own firm named RHOMB on January 1, 2018, as InBody’s in-house venture fostering program. 

InBody introduced the world’s first commercial BIA body composition analyzer in 1996 to hold an unchallenged position in the global market. BIA stands for bioelectrical impedance analysis. The company has a unique management philosophy of nurturing all employees as future CEOs. Under this philosophy, InBody introduced a project of hiring would-be CEOs in 2017 to discover talented people who are enthusiastic about starting their own firms based on advanced technology. RHOMB was one of the beneficiaries of this startup and venture incubation program. 

RHOMB released its flagship product, Rhomb Scale, in 2019. The premium scale boasts a high level of accuracy. 

First, the scale is tilted 2.1 degrees in consideration of the curve of the sole to ensure precise electrode contact on the front and back parts of the soles of both feet. Users can maintain their posture in a stable and comfortable way so the body composition can be measured more accurately. Secondly, the scale is designed to minimize electrode resistance. Essentially, the body composition scale sends a weak electric current through the body. It is important to minimize electrode resistance, which hinders the flow of the current. Lastly, this scale uses multiple frequencies, compared to conventional body composition scales for home use that generally use a single-frequency current. By using multiple frequencies, it measures intracellular and extracellular body water to yield more accurate results. 

Since the development of body composition analyzers, many people have looked for devices capable of not only measuring body weight but to display extensive information about body conditions. The thing is, such devices are quite expensive, with each priced at thousands of dollars. In general, they are used at clinics, healthcare-related institutes and fitness centers. 

Body composition scales have also been developed so people can check their body composition at home more conveniently. They can measure their body water, muscle mass and body fat percentage, which are classified as average, below average or above average. They can also see whether they are obese or not and check their muscles in different parts of the body. 

Accuracy is what matters the most in these measurements. Rhomb Scale is tiled slightly so the soles of the feet can precisely contact the scale. After constant tests, the company minimized electrode resistance, while diversifying frequency currents. Thanks to these efforts, the company was able to produce a high-performance scale. 

© WWW.RHOMB.CO.KR

We conducted clinical trials of Rhomb Scale, comparing their results to those of InBody770, a research-grade analyzer, to improve accuracy. The goodness-of-fit assessment showed that our product had a high level of fit. The measurement of the lower body muscle, in particular, showed an unusually high level of precision, with the correlation coefficient reaching 0.96. 

But minor errors may occur when measuring the body composition of people who are too thin or too muscular. Even research-grade analyzers may give different results, as they use their own algorithm. If you want to set a standard based on a particular device, you can enter the results of that device on the app of Rhomb Scale. The scale then revises the body composition based on the results. This unique feature is what differentiates Rhomb Scale from other alternatives. 

Rhomb Scale is a body composition analyzer for home use featuring the technology of the 4-point tactile electrode system, in which four different parts of the soles are measured. This type of analyzer is prone to a margin of error of more than 10 percent in measuring the body fat percentage of people whose upper body is disproportionate to their lower body or those who have too much fat or muscle. But Rhomb Scale resolved this problem by providing revised measurements based on the results produced by devices for professional use. In other words, this scale not only guarantees a high level of accuracy but also offers an outstanding feature that is hard to find in body composition analyzers for home use. And that’s not all. RHOMB put a lot of effort into the product design as well. 

I guess people usually leave scales out of sight at home, like shoving them under the sofa. But Rhomb Scale can be placed anywhere around the house, like a decoration for home interiors, thanks to its sleek design. Its design was inspired by “Black Cross,” a masterpiece by Kazimir Malevich. Its display is invisible when not in use, so people don’t know it is a scale unless they are told. 

Unlike most scales that are flat, the central part of this scale is slightly uplifted. Our efforts were recognized by renowned industrial designer Kim Young-se, as the scale was selected as one of the products with outstanding designs at an event known as “Curation by Kim Young-se.” The recognition was greatly helpful for us to demonstrate the excellence of our product. 

For some people, a scale is a simple device for measuring their weight. But RHOMB dreams of making users’ lives special through its scale. That’s why it came up with a distinctive design, featuring the shape of the black cross in the middle of the scale. 

RHOMB’s fresh attempt proved successful. Riding on the trend of the so-called “sheconomy,” a combination of “she” and “economy” that refers to rising consumption by women, the company’s products have entered major department stores as well as stores in trend-setting areas in southern Seoul. This year, the company plans on exploring foreign markets as well. 

We’re preparing to export our products to North America and China this year. The global market is 30 times larger than the domestic market. Analysts predict that the healthcare market will grow four-fold by 2030. We aim to raise our brand recognition in the U.S. and China, the two leading players in this market in terms of technology and size. 

It would be great to offer various healthcare devices, of course. But we believe it is important to ensure product quality, even for a single item. We hope users of RHOMB products will say they enjoyed a special experience. We’ll continue to make efforts to fulfill our goal of making customers’ lives special. 

With its premium products, RHOMB will take on a challenge in the global market, where Korean goods are widely viewed as low-end models. Just as InBody walked the path of a first mover in the industry, we hope RHOMB will blaze a trail in the field of premium healthcare devices.