Form’s Smart Swim 2 features a heart rate monitor and digital compass.
In 2016, Dan Eisenhart, a former competitive swimmer and co-founder of Vancouver-based Recon Instruments, returned to his roots. shapeis a wearable startup that offers augmented reality-powered goggles aimed at making you better swimmers.
After four years of tweaking the design of its flagship product, Form has introduced the second generation of its smart goggles, Smart Swim 2.
Smart Swim 2 has already received race approval from four sports governing bodies.
Like the first version of the product, the Smart Swim 2 goggles use onboard sensors and waveguides (a technology that conveys visual information to the swimmer’s eyes) to provide athletes with real-time swimming metrics such as stroke count and pace. Offers. Guided workouts and real-time coaching.
In addition to reducing the size and increasing comfort of the goggles, the Vancouver-based startup has added new features and metrics to Smart Swim 2 aimed at improving swimmer performance.
Form was founded in 2016 by CEO Eisenhardt, who was a swimmer for 14 years before founding his first company. Eisenhart first founded his Recon Instruments, which launched smart eyewear products for the sports market in 2010 and was acquired by Intel Corporation in 2015 for his $175 million. Ta.
In 2017, Intel shut down its Recon division, leaving the company’s four founders to pursue new projects. Mr. Eisenhart founded Form, and his co-founders have gone on to launch other Vancouver-based technology companies, including Thinkific, SKIO Music and Novak Technologies.
Form officially launched in August 2019 and raised $12 million in a Series A round led by private family offices in the UK and Denmark in 2020.
“At Recon Instruments, we have proven what is possible in sports AR devices: delivering the right information at the right time and in the right form factor,” Eisenhart told BetaKit.
He said that when launching Form, swim goggles have very limited space for features such as sensors and displays, not to mention the challenges of mixing electronics and water. He said that adhering to these principles has become more difficult.
“We’ve not only overcome both, but we’re here today with a next-generation product that moves us even further as a leader in this field with a very compelling and practical application of AR that swimmers love. I’m proud of that,” Eisenhardt added. .
The Smart Swim 2 goggle’s tech pack includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and barometer and is 15% smaller than the first version. The goggles also include eye seals and nose bridges to fit different facial structures.
Related: The untold story of Recon Instruments’ impact on Vancouver’s tech scene
The new goggles also include heart rate monitoring, which is measured at the temples, and a digital compass called SwimStraight that allows swimmers to track their direction inside the goggles and avoid going off course.
Eisenhart said in a statement that the built-in heart rate monitor is designed to eliminate “the inconvenience of purchasing, installing, and pairing another device,” and provides accurate continuity for optimal training and racing. Said to display real-time heart rate.
SwimStraight is intended to be particularly effective for open water swimmers. “SwimStraight is truly revolutionary, especially for triathletes, providing intelligent guidance to keep your swim path straight and precise, saving you energy and time and improving your focus,” said Eisenhardt. he added.
According to Form, the Smart Swim 2 has already received race approval from World Triathlon, USA Triathlon, the professional triathlete organization, and SuperTri. This product currently retails for $249 USD.
Smart Swim 2 includes a two-month free trial of Form Premium, which includes workouts, training plans, and access to Form’s digital coaching solution HeadCoach.
Feature image provided via form.