For all the buzz augmented reality and smart eyewear have received over the last decade, very few founders in the sectors can say they’ve shipped successful hardware that’s resonated with a community.
Dan Eisenhardt - founder and CEO of FORM - is one of them.
With decades of experience in the field of sports eyewear - first with Recon Instruments (acquired by Intel in 2015) and its smart glasses for running, cycling, and skiing, and now FORM’s smart swimming goggles - Dan joins the PULSE Podcast this week to share his insights.
We discussed the challenges of integrating heart rate into the brand’s second-gen goggles, shifting focus from the competitive swimmer to the triathlete, and why future sports eyewear shouldn’t aim to replace our existing tech.
In this PULSE Podcast episode:
How FORM began: The idea for Form's smart swim goggles originated during an entrepreneurship course in 2006. Although initially focused on swimmers, the concept pivoted to ski goggles due to the technological challenges and market potential at the time.
The smart eyewear revolution: Between 2006 and 2016, advancements in augmented reality (AR) optics and machine learning significantly improved alongside a big investment cycle. This pushed the creation of functional sports eyewear and the first-generation FORM Smart Swim, released in 2019. These technologies allowed for automatic detection of swim strokes and metrics, providing real-time feedback without manual intervention.
