There are already swim-tracking wearables such as watches, that track basic data such as the number of pool-lengths swum. Toronto-based TritonWear is taking things considerably further, however, with its just-announced Triton 2 – the device tracks 13 swimming metrics at once, transmitting data in real time for performance analysis.
The waterproof Triton 2 unit itself is tucked beneath the back of the wearer's swim cap, and is paired with a coach's smartphone or tablet. Once the wearer starts swimming, the device's inertial measurement unit (an accelerometer/gyroscope combo) proceeds to track metrics such as stroke type, average speed per length, stroke count/rate, distance per stroke, time underwater, and number of breaths per length.
All that data is wirelessly transmitted to an iOS/Android app on the coach's mobile device. There, it's not only recorded and displayed, but it's also processed by AI-based algorithms that were developed with input from elite-level coaches. As a result, the app is able to provide feedback on the swimmer's performance – this includes suggestions on how they could improve, and what they should do to avoid injury.
As an added bonus, if the coach uses their mobile device to shoot video of the swimmer as they're doing lengths, that video will be synced with the recorded performance analytics when played back. That means the swimmer will be able to actually see what they're doing wrong.
The system can also be used offline, syncing recorded data with the app's cloud-based server once internet access is available.
The Triton 2 is available now, priced at a subscription rate of US$149 per year. An extra $39/year is required for the video motion analysis feature. A similar crowdfunded device, the SwimBot, appears to have not reached production.
And yes, as its name implies, the Triton 2 is the successor to a previously-released product. According to its makers, the new version is 60 percent smaller, 70 percent lighter, offers four times the battery life, and has more accurate sensors.
Source: TritonWear
