Form launches new Smart Swim goggles that show live readouts of swimming

(Form)

Form has revealed new smart goggles that allow their wearers to see exactly how fast they are swimming.

The goggles use a display built into one of the eyes to show real-time feedback as people are swimming along.

And while the company has announced the second-generation of its swimming goggles, it has suggested that the same technology could come to other sports in the future. The real-time feedback – which works by a kind of augmented reality – is aimed at "enhancing athletic performance" more generally, Form said.

Form first launched its smart goggles in 2019, and they have been used by some of triathlon and swimming's top athletes since. That first version of the goggles will stay on sale, and at a reduced price.

The "Form Smart Swim 2" adds new features included heart-rate monitoring and a digital compass that allows people to navigate when swimming in open water. All of that is in a smaller design that is built to "accommodate a wider variety of facial structures", Form said.

(Form)

Both versions of the goggles are built on a technology that Form calls "Waveguide". That uses a display to project an image onto the eyepiece of the goggles, so that their wearers can both see the information as well as looking through it, meaning that they can choose to either look at the data or to look out at the pool around them.

Form says that is better than using a watch for tracking because it means that swimmers can get their information without being interrupted, and allows for a variety of different information to be shown. It also means that swimmers can view that information without having to alter their swimming stroke and potentially disrupt sessions.

Form also says that the heart rate monitor in the goggles – which is built into the eyepiece and takes its readings from the temple – is more accurate than measuring wrist heart rate with a watch. Watches can pick up wrong readings as people move their arms to swim, for instance.

Other new features include SwimStraight, which allows the goggles to show a compass on their screen. Users can then note the direction they need to swim and point that way – without having to lift their head to sight.

The release of the new goggles comes amid an increasing interest in augmented reality, spurred in large part by the introduction of Apple's new Vision Pro headset. Speaking to The Independent, representatives for Form did not comment on potential future uses of its technology but noted the fact that other sports such as cycling could also benefit from similar real-time data, and that it has described itself as being focused on endurance athletes more broadly.