At the moment, the new Recon Instruments‘ MOD and MOD Live Android-based heads up goggle display is aimed at the winter sports crowd (perfect timing, no?), but we see plenty of summer applications at the bike park. And, in fact, their PR folks just confirmed they’ve got a dirt launch planned for next year with a mountain bike goggle brand.
Using a 428×240 LCD micro display, it visually registers as a virtual 11″ monitor about five feet in front of you. They show real time elevation and speed, tracks your ascent and descent and even shows your jump data. This last bit could put to rest any arguing over who caught the most air, and it could show you where you’re falling short when practicing for those gaps and doubles before you have the neck brace to prove you came up short.
Both units build in GPS tracking, but the MOD Live links up via Bluetooth with your Android smartphone, tracks your buddies, provides navigation with preloaded trail maps, plays music from your phone’s playlist and connects to third party cameras as they’re developed.
More pics, info and the full press release after the break…
The MOD will retail for $299 and the MOD Live for $399.
Both units include a separate Bluetooth remote with buttons that look large enough to be pressed independently even with bulky ski gloves on. Shown here on the goggle’s headband, it can also be worn over your sleeve for easier access.
Air time and speed are recorded on internal storage, about three days’ worth before you need to download it. It’s measured using a combination of GPS and a gyroscope and tri-axial accelerometer.
PRESS RELEASE: Recon Instruments, the multiple award-winning technology company behind the world’s first GPS enabled head mounted displays for alpine goggles, is set to release their next generation innovations – MOD and MOD Live – in the fall of 2011.
For the first time, Recon Instruments’ technology will be available independent of the partners’ goggles giving consumers more choice of brands, frame styles, colour-ways, and price-points. MOD and MOD Live quickly snap-fit into any Recon-Ready frame so they can be used season after season, and swapped into new frames at any time. Recon Instruments’ 2011-12 Recon-Ready partners include Uvex, Alpina and Briko.
MOD
MOD provides real-time information via the adjustable, full-colour, widescreen micro LCD including speed, jump airtime, GPS location, vertical distance traveled, total distance traveled, temperature, altitude and time and also boasts a run counter and chrono/tracker feature.
MOD Live
MOD Live includes all the features of MOD but possesses additional functions utilizing its Android operating system and Bluetooth capabilities. Bluetooth will enable MOD Live to connect wirelessly to smartphones unlocking access to music playlists, text messages and caller ID. MOD Live users will also be able to take advantage of integrated resort information for navigation and buddy tracking with trail maps from around the globe included. Recon has also hinted at opening up a software development kit (SDK) this season, allowing developers to create apps which can be uploaded to MOD Live.
Dan Eisenhardt, CEO of Recon Instruments said “This fall, Recon Instruments is providing more choice to skiers and riders not only with our new Recon-Ready goggle partners Uvex, Alpina and Briko but also with the two micro optic displays available – MOD and MOD Live. We have recognized how individuals will use the technology differently and have created MOD, which is focussed on performance data, and MOD Live which runs off the Android operating system and allows more interaction and communication on-hill. We have received fantastic feedback from skiers and riders testing this technology and we are looking forward to releasing both products to the market.”
As always, free Recon HQ software will allow MOD and MOD Live users to track, re-live, and share their alpine experiences from around the world, and HQ Online will act as the social hub of activity changing the way people share their alpine experiences (http://hqonline.reconinstruments.com). Both platforms of Recon HQ overlay the users’ runs and performance statistics on satellite imagery with full resort information, and allow users to post and share multimedia they’ve tagged to their experiences.
