Solos and USA Cycling have partnered ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to enable athletes and members of USA Cycling (USAC) ‘access to state-of-the-art, high-performance Solos smart eyewear, which integrates innovative heads-up display and audio technologies.’
The partnership covers USAC’s developmental programs and the road and track USA Cycling Teams for the 2016 season, including the Rio Olympic Games. Solos adds that its ‘smart eyewear empowers cyclists with the critical performance data they need to train with precision and achieve peak performance without breaking stride.’
“The Solos Smart Glasses offer a cutting edge tool for the continued success of USA Cycling athletes when training, and will play an integral role in our developmental programs and the USA Cycling Team on the road and track,” said Jim Miller, USA Cycling Vice President of Athletics.
“This technology is especially vital with our women’s Olympic pursuit team in their Rio preparations and would be perfect for any road training program.”
“The Solos Team has worked directly with Olympic cyclists to ascertain the critical feedback required for smart eyewear in a minimalist, functional and fashionable design,” said Dr Ernesto Martinez, Director at Solos.
“The key insights included keeping it lightweight, streamlined, intuitive to operate and keeping the rider’s eyes on the road. These design pillars are evident throughout Solos, giving riders exactly what they need and nothing that they don’t.”
“We are always looking for technologies to help improve and push the limits of our athletes’ performance, on the road and on the track, especially aiming at our goal for gold in Rio 2016,” added Andy Sparks, Director of Track Cycling Programs, USA Cycling.
He continued, “We worked in conjunction with the SOLOS team from the ground up to develop a wearable technology that could be a game changer in the industry and have a great impact across the board.”
Solos is positioned as an ultra-lightweight performance Smart eyewear streamlined for aerodynamics, style and comfort. Solos notes that it allows cyclists to easily access real-time performance data from their smartphone or wearable sensors on its high-resolution heads-up display with ‘an image three times larger than premium bike computers’.
“As soon as I put them on, I can suddenly see all of my favorite data without looking down at my computer,” said Sarah Hammer, two- time Olympic Silver medalist, 2016 World Champion and 2016 Olympic Team Member. “The screen is a big information giver without impairing my vision or being distracting; I can really focus on my ride and training… honestly, it just feels natural.”
Solos displays performance metrics such as heart rate, speed, power, pace, cadence, distance, duration and other Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible data. The Solos app captures, streams and syncs data, allowing cyclists to customize workouts while keeping track of target performance levels. It also supports existing training programs and new tool development that enables users to see progress and heighten performance capabilities.
Solos will be available to pre-order in May 2016 for a retail price of US$499. USA Cycling members have exclusive early pre-order access and a 25% discount. Individuals can sign up at solos-wearables.com for the discount and ordering details.
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including BMX, cyclo-cross, mountain bike, road and track.
As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 64,000 members; 3,000+ clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions over 2,600 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the US each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists.
The mission of Solos is to ‘create unique performance-enabled devices meant to inspire athletes to their greatest potential’. By creating optimal head-up displays and simplified accessibility to performance data, Solos focuses on catering to today’s dedicated athletes. The Solos’ vision is to be ‘lighter, smaller, smarter and better, all while delivering innovative, safe and intelligent solutions.’ Solos is a brand of Kopin Corporation.
Kopin Corporation is a leading developer and provider of innovative wearable technologies and solutions for integration into head-worn computing and display systems to military, industrial and consumer customers. Kopin’s technology portfolio includes ultra-small displays, optics, speech enhancement technology, system and hands-free control software, low-power ASICs, and ergonomically designed smart headset reference systems. Kopin’s proprietary components and technology are protected by more than 300 global patents and patents pending.
Source: endurance.biz
