Whether you call it foiling, foilboarding or hydrofoiling, it's a watersport that can be difficult to master without expert guidance. The SmartFoil is designed to provide that guidance, courtesy of a compact and streamlined board-mounted device.
Currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign, the SmartFoil was invented by Swiss foiler Duncan Robinson. He was inspired by the unrelated Carv system, which mounts on a downhill skier's boots to assess their skiing performance.
Packed within the SmartFoil's waterproof body are electronics including a rechargeable lithium battery, microprocessor, wide-angle video camera, GPS module, and 9-axis IMU (inertial measurement unit). The device easily slides in and out of a quick-release bracket that is adhered to the nose of the board.
As the rider foils, the back-facing camera records video of them standing and moving about on the board's deck. That footage is synced up with locational data from the GPS, and with IMU data which includes the board's pitch, yaw, roll and rate of acceleration.
All of that information subsequently gets Bluetooth-transmitted to an iOS/Android app on the user's smartphone, where it's processed by software that was developed with input from actual foiling coaches. The result is a numerical score for that foiling session, based on 13 separate data points.
Users also receive a detailed breakdown of their performance, which includes suggestions for improvements in their technique, balance and pumping rhythm. For an extra fee, they can additionally get more in-depth online personalized coaching. This will initially be provided by a human coach, who will ultimately be replaced by an AI agent once that agent is sufficiently trained.
Assuming the SmartFoil reaches production, a pledge of US$349 will get you one. The planned retail price is $945.
It's demonstrated in the video below.
