Technology in Sports Equipment – Ski Goggles

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.

 

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