Tag: Technology in sports equipment

Sports Gadgets – Cyclists Can Check Vital Feedback Safely

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Have you ever been jogging or biking and glanced at your watch to check your pace and crashed and burned? Reportedly that’s what happened to Ian Andes.

For those who don’t know Mr. Andes, he is the inventor of Sportiiiis. He has a story that every athlete can relate to, a brand name that is clever, and a product that sounds rather ingenuous.

In simplistic terms, Sport-iiiis might be called a sports version of Google Goggles. The product is a device that is attached to a person’s sunglasses. For bicyclists, the device use audible prompts and visual colored-LED displays to present performance data from an ANT+ cycling computer attached to the bicycle. This allows cyclists to safely receive vital feedback and plan their output (cadence, speed, or heart rate) when they are going down a hill at 60 mph, scaling Independence Pass, or passing a pack of other racers.

The manufacturers tout both the safety aspects of the glasses and the ability to monitor performance as obvious reasons for their use.

Gimmick or godsend?

For more information check it out at http://4iiii.com/.

 

Portable Biofeedback System for Runners

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Twenty years ago sports gadgets were typically limited to fancy wristwatches. Physiological research was typically done in the lab with treadmills and expensive equipment that required lots of wires and measuring devices.

Today the gadgets are less expensive, more portable, and “reasonably” priced for the serious athlete.

For example, consider the Pear Square device by Pear Sports.

The biofeedback training system costs $250 and includes a foot pod, wireless heart rate sensor and strap, and earphones with a retention system. The user can select music and a training program for their workout.  From there the heart monitor and foot pod measure performance. The interactive audio coaching or software provides commentary about whether the runner is meeting the goals (heart rate, pace, time, and distance) of their training plan.

Its simple to use.

For more information contact Pear Sports at http://pearsports.com/

Technology in Sports Equipment – Ski Goggles

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Skiers and boarders get all the cool stuff!

They wear jackets that are warmer and lighter and they have mobile aps to keep track of their number of runs on the slopes. Thanks to Zeal Optics of Boulder, they now have goggles with a built-in camera to capture all their bumps and turns on the slopes.

In touting their iON goggle, the company’s press release stated, “The goggle-wearer pushes buttons located on the outside of the goggles to operate the camera. The goggles have a viewfinder and controls that run on a rechargeable battery that works for up to six hours. The camera in the goggles has a 170-degree wide-angle lens to capture images in a “wide periphery.” The goggles come with software that allows users to adjust camera settings. Videos and pictures can be downloaded to computers through a mini-USB connection. The goggles also have a micro-SD card that can be used to show the videos and pictures on computers and TVs. Other goggles from Zeal offer GPS-related information that allows users to track altitude, speed, and temperature. The new goggles retail for $399.”

Will the iON goggles be a big hit? Can the goggles be used in ways that allow skiers to improve their skills or are they strictly an entertainment device? Will owners find crossover uses for their goggles – mountain biking, rock climbing, gardening, mowing the lawn, or après-ski activity? Will Zeal develop comparable products to allow sports enthusiasts to record the big ace on match point, the hole-in-one, or the diving catch to capture the city softball championship?

Sports are no longer as simple as they once were – strap on your skis and have a good time. For better or worse, technology has become a bigger part of the way enthusiasts enjoy their favorite sport. And it has become necessary for manufacturers to develop new products and continually change (and hopefully improve) their current product lines to stay afloat.

Further information about Zeal Optics can be found at www.zealoptics.com.