Inview: intelligent glasses for skilled swimmers

It's hot in the city, swimming pools are packed and the 'accidents' become more frequent.

According to Katie Williams, industrial designer at London's Brunel University, the problem of disorientation is caused by a loss of concentration and, in the majority of cases, occurs when swimmers look at their wristwatches or the clock on the wall.

Williams says that swimming enthusiasts can't resist checking out their levels of prowess: the number of lengths they've swum and how fast.

This is why she invented the Inview glasses: one of the lenses is a display which shows the number of lengths swum, the time taken and the speed... all without losing concentration.

The advantages are unquestionable: accidents between swimmers are avoided and energy is saved as they no longer need to move their head to look at a watch or clock.Everything is in front of their eyes.

The device has a compass that records when the swimmer changes direction and turns round in the pool. A counter memorizes the number of lengths and gives the distances swum.

For the time being, it ss the size of a small stone, a bit too big but, Williams assures that when the final touches have been put to the electronics, the device could be 50 times smaller than a coin and would be invisible when fitted into the glasses' strap.

Future use for the new technology could include sunglasses for runners, cyclists or for other types of sports.

(Source: Focus)