Look into Sportiiiis that turns any regular glasses into a Heads Up Display

First look

Head-up display or better known as HUD has been strongly related to the pilot friendly revolution of military aviation. The innovative technology comprises of a transparent display that directly presents the data to the user, without requiring the user to look away from their usual perspectives while maneuvering. In simpler terms, all the important data are directly presented on the glass screen (windscreen) in front of the vehicle. In relation to this, the HUD technology has actually progressed beyond military use, to make its foray into civilian fields like commercial aircrafts and selected automobiles. Well, Canadian company 4iiii Innovations has now made the mechanism even more accessible by developing a Head-up display system (christened as Sportiiiis - pronounced "sport-eyes") that can be attached to wearable glasses.

Sportiiiis

What's new

Amidst much hullabaloo and palaver, the Sportiiiis was officially unveiled at the Interbike 2011 Expo in Las Vegas. Now, one may ask - what is the core functionality for such an advanced product? The answer is pretty simple - the Sportiiiis is a 'body rhythm' monitor, contrived specifically for athletes and people who want to keep in tip top shape. The device helps in exhibiting critical information (in the form of blinking LEDs) regarding the performance of a person when he/she is going through a thorough work out phase. The mechanism can be paired with any monitoring device via ANT+ wireless technology. After connection, it actually processes the comparison attribute of the actual performance of the exercise (undertaken by the user) with some set work out parameters. Then it displays the result (feedback) through a system of colored LED lights and audio updates. For example, when paired with a heart rate strap, one can set up a customized output of the responsive of the LEDs to one's heart beat rate. This program can now be inducted into the Sportiiiis device for an optimized exercise based on the comparison attribute and graph (between the set program patterns and the actual work out done by the user).

What's been refreshed

This is actually not the first HUD technology that is applied for civilian user convenience. Mechanisms developed previous to this like the SportVue retro-fit HUD (for motorbike and bicycle helmets) or the Transcend goggles for skiing, incorporated a display system that comprised of a more complex graphical interface. But the HUD mechanism of Sportiiiis completely disregards all the graphical denominations. Instead the system utilizes a simple LED notification system (which indicates different colors according to the pre-configured optimum workout zone). Situated on a flexible boom which is placed in between the lens (of the wearable glasses) and the user's eye, the LEDs comes in range of seven color indications starting from green to red. Green means the user is working out in an optimized condition, while red means the user is working too hard, and needs to rest.

Features walkthrough

The main feature of the bantam device is its system of LEDs. The LEDs can be made to visually respond to the data acquired from ANT+ devices. We can use Mac, PC or smartphone for this pre-configuration process. Other than that even the brightness and volume of the LEDs can be controlled by apps from mobile operating systems like Android and iOS.

Finally, coming to battery life, according to the company its integrated battery systems are efficient enough to run for 10 straight hours without recharging.

What's good

Firstly, the designers have envisaged a convenient system that would be compact in its bearing and practical in its usage. The result was the Sportiiiis device being conceived as a gadget accessible to many users. One prime example of this attribute is the universal attachment points on the device, so that it can be mounted upon almost all sunglasses.

The designers have also thought about the safety aspect of the potential users. This is because a complex graphical output on his/her lens might distract any user when the person is in a maneuvering mode (like for example - when the person is cycling and his/her heart beat rate is monitored). This issue is perfectly countered by the minimal LED system of Sportiiiis, which is unobtrusive in nature.

What's not so good

The product has yet not made its commercial debut. Hence, we cannot comment upon the not-so-good sides in detail. But the pricing can be a tad bit on the higher side, considering the device's overall simple mechanism.

Price and availability

It is touted to be commercially available from early November of this year, while the price is set at around $199.

Wrap Up

HUD technology making its transition to wearable sunglasses; this convenient progression alone makes it noteworthy and novel. And the Sportiiiis device actually improves upon this by its compactness and adroit practicality. So, at the end of the day, it is always good to know that display technology has not just advanced on the television and computer screen front. Rather this convenient technology helps us to keep in shape, unlike TVs (wake up couch potatoes!).