A coming together of sports lens developer Zeal Optics and display innovator Recon Instruments has managed to successfully squeeze both GPS technology and head-mounted display into a set of ski goggles named Transcend. A tiny computer gathers information from a number of onboard sensors and provides location, speed, altitude and temperature information to the wearer via a micro-LCD display inside the goggles. The image from the display is then virtually projected so that it appears out in front of the user.
Recon has produced a promo giving an overview of the kind of things on offer, which is worth a watch:
To the side of the Transcend goggles are a threesome of nice, big, glove-friendly buttons to control the kind of information shown. There's also a USB port to enable users to download trip stats to a computer or laptop and to charge the Li-ion battery, which is said to give seven hours between charges. The goggles weigh 257 grams (9 ounces) and come shipped with a protective hard case, lens cleaning bag and a charger with European and North American adapters.
Showing off an epic journey to friends is given a more impressive twist with the ability to overlay Google Maps onto stats and highlights courtesy of Recon HQ software. Any particularly impressive snippets can be uploaded to Recon's new online portal and shared with the world – or at the very least, family and friends.