Wearables have officially hit the water—swimmers now can track, store, and project key information, including heart rate and swimming speed, on their goggles. The heads-up display monitor, the culmination of a joint effort between STMicroelectronics and Instabeat, is completely waterproof and does not interfere with the swimmer’s efforts or focus.
A small module clips over the swimmer’s goggles and delivers information on key parameters like the total swimming distance and estimated calories burned. Optical sensors measure heart rate from the blood flow in the temple, which eliminates the need for a constricting chest strap. Three RGB LEDs project the information onto the goggles’ lens. The module syncs via a wireless connection to an online dashboard that the swimmer can use, out of the water, to set targets and review performance.
STMicroelectronics’ LSM9DS0 9-axis iNEMO intertial module delivers the motion sensing; a BlueNRG Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) network processor enables connectivity. A STNS01 Li-ion linear battery charger provides power management, and overall system processing is handled by an STM32L1 low-power 32-bit microcontroller. Also included in the kit is a TSV633 micro-power CMOS op amp.