Vancouver’s FORM has added heart-rate monitoring to its $200 augmented reality goggles that let swimmers track their lap-swimming data.
Today the sports tech startup announced the release of a free firmware update for the FORM Swim Goggles that enables support for Polar’s optical heart rate monitors, giving swimmers the unprecedented ability to view their real-time heart rate, in their line of sight, throughout their swim.
Anyone with a pair of FORM Swim Goggles can update their goggles to the latest firmware using the FORM Swim App for iPhone and Android. Once updated, the goggles can connect wirelessly to Polar’s OH1 and OH1+ optical heart rate monitors, enabling real-time heart rate data—including beats per minute and zones—to be shown on the goggles’ see-through smart display.
For an optimal experience using these products together, FORM offers a purpose-built mounting clip that allows the Polar OH1/OH1+ to be mounted seamlessly and unobtrusively to the strap of the FORM Swim Goggles, where the wearer’s heart rate is measured from their temple, and a reliable wireless connection is achieved between the two products.
Existing Polar and FORM customers can get their free FORM mounting clip online and starting today, new pairs of FORM Swim Goggles will begin shipping with the FORM mounting clip included in the box.
“Real-time heart rate is an essential aspect of training in land-based sports like running and cycling,” said FORM founder and CEO Dan Eisenhardt.
“Without that information, it’s easy to stagnate in your training, either by taking it too easy or by overtraining and burning out. Now, thanks to FORM and Polar, real-time heart rate has come to the pool. Swimmers can see their heart rate in our goggles’ display throughout their swim. This is a game-changer for swimmers, triathletes, and the coaches who train them.”
Once a swim has been completed with the FORM Swim Goggles and Polar OH1/OH1+, data for the entire workout can be reviewed in the FORM Swim App on the user’s smartphone.