 Poster: A snowHead
|
Greetings Snowhead community!
I work for a company called Recon Instruments. We design and build Heads-Up Display (HUD) devices for ski and snowboard goggles. We're hard at work refining our product for next ski season, and I thought I'd be a good time to reach out to the snow community.
I'm sure alot of you guys already use great stat tracking apps like Alpine Replay, Snowciety or AllSnow. What'd I like to know is, which stats matter to you the most after each run? i.e. Which stats do you get the most excited about, make you more competitive, or push you to kick it up a notch?
We have the usual suspects for snow stats, like:
- Duration
- Max/Average speed
- Vertical Drop
- Total Distance
- Angle of slope
- Time on slope vs lift/rest time, etc
But these numbers mean different things to different people. What means the most you you, and why?
Cheers,
Recon Man
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Angle of slope
Although I'm a bit skeptical on how you get that info and how accurate that info is.
To be honest, I don't care to look at any "stat" WHILE skiing. So the HUD goggle display probably doesn't appeal to me in practice. But if I do at all, the one thing I care about what I AM skiing is how steep it is! The rest of the "stat", I can read it at the end of day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Hey thanks for your response!
Stats WHILE skiing is a whole other ball of wax. There's only so much information we can communicate without having your full attention (i.e. while going 100 km/h)
A better question would be, what do you want to see while waiting in line for/on the lift?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Recon Man wrote: |
A better question would be, what do you want to see while waiting in line for the lift? |
No people. hope that helps. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Recon Man wrote: |
| A better question would be, what do you want to see while waiting in line for/on the lift? |
Sun, snow, mountains.
I guess I'm not your target market.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Distance to nearest bar?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| dogwatch wrote: |
| Recon Man wrote: |
| A better question would be, what do you want to see while waiting in line for/on the lift? |
Sun, snow, mountains.
I guess I'm not your target market. |
+1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| dogwatch wrote: |
| Recon Man wrote: |
| A better question would be, what do you want to see while waiting in line for/on the lift? |
Sun, snow, mountains.
I guess I'm not your target market. |
+ 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Which stats do you get the most excited about, make you more competitive, or push you to kick it up a notch?
|
'Stats' don't do any of that for me. Have you asked yourself a) whether encouraging young men to 'kick it up a notch' on public pistes is a responsible idea, and b) that people trying to read the inside of their goggles might hit things?
This gadget has always struck me as one of these 'because we can' products punted by people who have given no though to the question of whether or not they should.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Snowfall in in past 24 hr. Although to be honest the balcony is a good measure of that. Wind speed and direction overnight.
Everything else is just fluff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
fatbob, but you don't really need that on the inside of a pair of £200+ goggles when you can get it from the resort's smartphone app for nothing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Have you asked yourself whether encouraging young men to 'kick it up a notch' on public pistes is a responsible idea
|
Good question, especially as they are already assumed to be whanging along at 100 kph.
If I were God I'd ban them, for the same reason it's illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving.
I'm not interested in any stats, including how far I've skied during the day, or at what speed. But then I'm a boring old fart.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Recon Man, not stat-related, but I've tried a pair of Recon-equipped goggles (we sell them) and really don't like the viewfinder. I was expecting some sort of HUD trickery and so finding a tiny lens tucked away in the bottom corner of the frame was very disappointing. Despite the promises on the packaging, I don't find that my eyes adjust to display (superimpose?) that screen a few metres in front of me (it remains a tiny screen 5mm from my eyeball), and I do find my eyes refocusing every time I try and look at it or look away (which is distracting, painful and so potentially dangerous).
We failed to sell one to a gentleman who expressed exactly the same concerns. We have tweaked the arm to reposition the screen in many places, but to no avail. Have you any advice to rectify it, or improvements planned for future models?
Stat-wise, it has everything I might want, although perhaps a time spent paused/waiting feature might be amusing and encourage us to stop being lazy! I just hope it takes into account the uplifts and doesn't count them. Endomundo is rendered useless by this simple omission, which Ski Tracks does fairly well.
| Lizzard wrote: |
| Quote: |
Which stats do you get the most excited about, make you more competitive, or push you to kick it up a notch?
|
'Stats' don't do any of that for me. |
Look at the thread title. At this point your brain should have engaged, decided you have no part to play in this discussion, and taken your keyboard elsewhere.
The number of people posting photos online from ski tracking apps is indicative of the interest in statistics. If you want to hark back to olden days, I give you the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
pam w, any comparison to a mobile phone in car is inaccurate because the Recon concept is most of the time just a simple information display which, well-executed, shouldn't require any refocussing or movement of the eyes to be used. It's not a video game, just big text. To continue the automotive comparison, how is your campaign to ban car dashboards and worse, radios, going? Anyone who tries to control their phone or analyse stats using this at the same time as skiing quickly downhill is the same sort of person who will have their glove off, phone out of their pocket and poles in one hand as they hurtle down anyway, so at least they'll be marginally safer with this sort of thing.
If you don't like the stats, it also has piste maps pre-loaded and can show your friends on them as little icons, which will be great for big groups/kids and ought to halve the sales of low-powered walkie-talkies (and so reduce one anti-social annoyance on lifts...). Similarly, the option to display incoming texts might save a few gloves from falling under chairlifts, although this is a more questionable/dangerous feature of the device...
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sat 13-04-13 8:21; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
albinomountainbadger, but you, as a potential fan, find the display painful and distracting. Car radios can be distracting - as can changing CDs. That's no doubt why cars more sophisticated than mine have CD changers.
People marketing new gadgets also need to know who is NOT interested in them, to tweak their marketing campaigns. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| dennisp wrote: |
| Distance to nearest bar? |
This is a damned good idea  .
| Recon Man wrote: |
Hey thanks for your response!
A better question would be, what do you want to see while waiting in line for/on the lift? |
To actually try and answer the question, an ability to have some recall function so that you can do the same run a few times and see improvements? Eg using GPS to determine you're doing the same slope. I guess stats on the last run (speed/elevation/drop/etc) would be ok, but I have to say I think for me it would be a novelty.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| pam w wrote: |
| albinomountainbadger, but you, as a potential fan, find the display painful and distracting. |
As it is, yes, I do, but I did say this is a problem and so am seeking advice on it. My reply to you was talking about the technology/idea, not this particular model - I was quite clear on the 'concept' being 'well-executed'.
| pam w wrote: |
| People marketing new gadgets also need to know who is NOT interested in them, to tweak their marketing campaigns. |
That might sound clever when applied to detergent of snacks, but makes as much sense here as adapting motorbike adverts to appeal to people thinking of buying a lawnmower.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Quote: |
makes as much sense here as adapting motorbike adverts to appeal to people thinking of buying a lawnmower.
|
you're right. Finding out what loads of keen skiers, snowboarders and instructors what they might need from high-tech ski goggles is a complete waste of time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
pam w, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Probably a few iterations away, but what would be more interesting than stats would be some sort of augmented reality to highlight things such as:
- your friends' location on the mountain
- names and heights of mountains in view
- some sort of satnav function for fastest route home/to meeting place/restaurant with options for avoiding difficult pistes
- real time info on lift queue waiting times
Etc
But I guess most of this is a few years away and not viable until google glass or equivalent is widely adopted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
I like race skis so g-force
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I don't have any interest in looking at information while I'm skiing, nor am I interested in speed, number of runs, distance travelled, etc. But when I'm on a lift or stopped by the side of the piste it would be useful to consult a piste map, including my current location being marked, without having to fiddle with a folded bit of paper, as well as additional information such as
| davehas wrote: |
- your friends' location on the mountain
- names and heights of mountains in view
- some sort of satnav function for fastest route home/to meeting place/restaurant with options for avoiding difficult pistes
- real time info on lift queue waiting times |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Latest stock market and exchange rate information so I instantly know whether I can afford lunch would be helpful
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
I want a Super Mario style screen super-imposed. You can then add 'lines' down the slope of coins for me to collect, while jumps/drops will have the little box things above to hit to get me 'flower power' etc. Use some sort of trickery to make everyone else look like Wario, who will steal all your coins if you get too close (safety conscious, me )
More seriously, *accurate* slope angle, aspect, altitude and maybe a way to 'shade' aspects that have been wind-loaded (would need to tie in with avi forecasts), as you look at the slope, I guess could have some use, but it would have to be VERY well done...
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sat 13-04-13 16:23; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
makes as much sense here as adapting motorbike adverts to appeal to people thinking of buying a lawnmower.
|
you're right. Finding out what loads of keen skiers, snowboarders and instructors what they might need from high-tech ski goggles is a complete waste of time. |
Yes, and those are the people commenting constructively in response to the question. Perhaps you can explain how it is helping him "tweak his marketing" when the people who are NOT interested (you, and Lizzard) are just cluttering up the thread with "don't like it" and "ban it" remarks?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Anyone wanting free marketing information here has to accept the rough with the smooth. If you want something more focused pay an agency to do it for you.
From what I've read above it sounds to me as if the technology just isn't advanced enough to make this worthwhile, perhaps when it is I may reconsider although I struggled to think of info I value enough to have to have it instantly available "in my face".
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
Does it have some kind of stat to tell me how rad I was? That's all I want to know.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
| I want a Super Mario style screen super-imposed. You can then add 'lines' down the slope of coins for me to collect, while jumps/drops will have the little box things above to hit to get me 'flower power' etc. Use some sort of trickery to make everyone else look like Wario, who will steal all your coins if you get too close |
LOVE this idea. Takes Xbox kinect to a whole new level. The human game controller!
Maybe ski schools / racers could set up slaloms without needing the actual gates.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Will that slope slip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
'I want a Super Mario style screen super-imposed.'
Virtual slalom anyone ? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Software updates. My OH bought new goggles this year, and the model he chose was also available with a HUD (for an exceptional no. of £££) so we watched the promos, though not seen them in the flesh.
One thing that occurred to us was that after only one or two seasons they would be old hat as this kind of technology is likely to advance quite quickly. The data displayed, the quality of the display and accuracy of the data is likely to improve, but as far as I could see, the only way to upgrade is to spend £££ again and buy more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| clarky999 wrote: |
| I want a Super Mario style screen super-imposed. You can then add 'lines' down the slope of coins for me to collect, while jumps/drops will have the little box things above to hit to get me 'flower power' etc. Use some sort of trickery to make everyone else look like Wario, who will steal all your coins if you get too close (safety conscious, me |
That's a brilliant idea! On the boss level you have to outrun piste patrol (safely, of course...)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Least Groomed Areas 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| stevomcd wrote: |
| Does it have some kind of stat to tell me how rad I was? That's all I want to know. |
GNAR point calculator would be sweet!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
The amount of fun I have, everything after that is irrelevant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Quote: |
I want a Super Mario style screen super-imposed. You can then add 'lines' down the slope of coins for me to collect, while jumps/drops will have the little box things above to hit to get me 'flower power' etc. Use some sort of trickery to make everyone else look like Wario, who will steal all your coins if you get too close
|
Winner! I want a Sonic the Hedgehog one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some of the most basic stats are already available free of charge at some resorts, where it can track your lift usage from your lift pass and tell you total descent and whatnot. It maybe can't do speed, slope angle or airtime, but I've usually got a pretty good idea of those things myself.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea nor that I don't want stats, but I wouldn't feel a need for them in a HUD on my goggles. Most can already be tracked in my phone, my Garmin and calculated from my USB stick style GPS tracker.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
clarky999, pole wacks per second!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
not sure I would want a HUD in the googles either - but a sat nav which showed me routes on the snow ahead might be good - the ability to collect stats is all on my iphone and as I would only look at it in lift queues / over lunch, then the iphone works extremely well - and vfm is leagues ahead of alternatives...
I love the idea of computer games imposed on the snow - that would work well!
perhaps a sensor suit which critiqued posture and skiing and taought you as you skied...
but stats in my googles - no thanks 
Alasdair
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depth of powder, lightness of powder, probability of avy , all for the slope that I am looking at through the gizmo
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
