At the recently held Vision Expo West 2011, the Colorado-based Zeal Optics revealed the GPS-enabled goggles collection, the Z3 GPS Goggles. The goggles boast of additional features such as data-capture and provide enhanced comfort.
Zeal Optics_Z3-GPS-Goggles
Ideal for use by winter sports enthusiasts such as ski jumpers, the Z3 features polarized anti-fog lenses. The in-molded and enlarged lenses reduce the sun’s glare by 99.9% and decreases eye fatigue for the skier. The Z3 has been designed to automatically adjust to light levels, for instance, the lens is clear in low light levels and turns brown / dark rose in bright conditions.
The goggles have been designed to note sky jump data to analyze vertical maneuvers of the skier as well. An advanced head-mounted display with 3D data-capturing capabilities arms the user with the technology to access performance statistics such as temperature, time, altitude and speed in real-time. Along with advanced optics, the user gains a clearer perspective of the mountains and can maneuver better. Furthermore, the monitor within the goggles is not as obtrusive as the previous models and a chromos mode and a stopwatch have been featured as well. The goggles can be used for seven hours at a stretch and require rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The controls for the GPS goggles are provided in a wireless remote that the user can wear on the arm, wrist or on the strap of the goggles.
The Z3 GPS is coupled with a downloadable software using which the user can transfer data from the goggles to MAC or PC computers. Users can review each run, determine the slowest and fastest speeds and determine the vertical jump distance. The software can also be used to playback runs mapped on 3-D Google Earth.