After the launch of their snow sports HUD in 2010, Recon has had their eye on the cycling and triathlon market. The only issue – getting it to fit on pair of small glasses compared to the relatively large snow goggles. After teasing the Recon Jet back in May, the Pilot Edition is finally here. A limited amount of cycling and triathlon oriented models will be offered for sale for $499, though the offer expires on July 21st, the last day of the Tour.
Find out what big George Hincapie has to say about the Jet, plus a video after the break.
According to Hincapi, “Throughout my 19-year career, I was always fascinated by wearable technology and I think it is incredible how Recon Instruments has managed to develop a HUD for sunglasses while keeping the fit of the sunglasses balanced and comfortable. It is amazing how the display is only visible when you want it to be and is completely invisible when you don’t. It will make a tremendous difference for cyclists not to have to look down at their bike computer or smartphone for data, taking their focus away from their activity. I can see these being a big hit in the peloton.”
Specifically geared towards sports of the pedaling type, the Pilot Edition will ship with applications specifically for cyclists and triathletes and will ship several months before the full production run. Jet is equipped with both ANT+ and Bluetooth allowing connectivity to heart rate, cadence, and power devices as well as speed, pace, distance, time, and elevation through the integrated sensors in the unit. In addition to displaying cycling data in real time, the HUD will also display text messages and caller ID from incoming calls while keeping things hands free.
As mentioned previously, Jet is based on an open SDK platform allowing developers to create their own apps which was lauded at the recent Google I/O tech conference. The device also features a 1 GHz dual core processor, dedicated graphics, Wi-Fi, GPS, and an HD camera. As George mentioned the components are evenly distributed on both sides of the glasses for perfect balance and claim to only add 14g per side. The display is controlled with an optical touch-pad with support for multiple gesture controls for use in all weather conditions and while wearing gloves.
