nolandeck
Heads-up displays aren’t entirely new at this point. Every few years a new company comes in claiming they’ve put together sunglasses or goggles that allow you to see statistics like speed, heart rate, etc. without looking away from the trail or road. Unfortunately, it seems like every time one of these products is introduced, it either completely flies under the radar or just disappears within a short time. Google Glass is a good example of this (and yes, they are apparently still working on this product).
Now, there’s a new player in town, and its name is ActiveLook. So what’s so special about this AR heads-display? Well, for one, it’s actually available for purchase, as far as I can tell. Currently, there are models available through Engo Eye Wear, Julbo, and Cosmo Connected, and they all seem to be decently reasonable, priced generally around $400. Google Glass, as an alternative example, has been around since, oh god, 2013?, and you can’t just buy it. ActiveLook is available now.
On top of just availability, it does seem to be decently unique. In terms of its look, it seems to be much more slick than the other options, and it only weighs 6 grams. The company claims the battery lasts 12 hours, and its magnetic charger means you don’t have to fumble with a chord. It can connect to an Apple Watch, Garmin devices, iOS, and Android. Just in case you haven’t picked this up yet, I’m not a tech person by any means, so I don’t know what a lot of the stats mean, but it’s interesting.
Now for the important question. Will this come to ski goggles? Well, not yet, but their product video does show someone hiking with a snowboard with… normal goggles on, so we can safely assume they’re at least aware of the sport and are hopefully working on it. Imagine it, though? You could see your speed, your distance traveled, your heart rate, maybe even a map of where you are and where you’re going, all without taking your eyes off the trail! I’m sure there will be a lot of differing opinions when it comes to heads-up displays in ski goggles, but it would be pretty darn neat at least for training!
To be completely honest, though, I think the chances of it catching on are pretty slim. This has been tried so many times, and its yet to be successful. Maybe this will be the one to break free, but, honestly, I think it’s more likely that it won’t.
Image Credit: Activelook on YouTube
