Skiing’s exciting and fun, whatever your level, but it’s also hard to master. The more tuition, information, and encouragement you get, the better you’ll become. Carv is a new gadget that provides all this in real-time, right into your ears. It syncs with your phone, taking data mapped by a sensor placed inside your ski boot and a tiny device attached to the back, Carv’s the personal ski tutor whose words you can hear while you’re actually skiing.
The in-boot sensor, that looks like an oversize insole for a regular shoe, contains 48 pressure sensors to ensure it picks up even the smallest changes in movement. It’s linked to a smart clip-on unit that contains an acceleromter, gyroscope, and magnetometer. It’s IP67 water resistant, and connects to your iOS or Android phone using Bluetooth. The whole system even syncs with a GoPro camera and will add key data to captured footage.
Using all this technology, Carv provides real-time advice and training for skiers, almost regardless of their level. The system is suitable for causal skiers starting out, all the way up to racers and even ski coaches. Listen to lessons, gain immediate feedback and encouragement, and beat challenges as you ski — rather than waiting for an assessment after your run.
For experienced freestyle skiers Carv tracks jumps, analyzes tricks, and monitors landing pressure. For racers, Carv watches your speed and posture. For coaches, student ski runs can be recorded and have data overlaid to provide precise feedback. The accompanying app has social features, stores all your data, activates lessons, and provides an overall rating — called Ski IQ — that represents your skiing ability.
This is no ordinary fitness wearable project — the team has gone out of its way to get feedback and advice from some of the best skiers in the world, including Olympic champions, and many industry innovators, ensuring the niche product is going to really suit the people who’d actually want to buy it.
Carv slid on to Kickstarter on February 10 with a $50,000 goal, which at the time of writing is less than $2,000 away from being met. Two Carv sensors and trackers (that’s one for each boot) costs $250, but some of the more in-depth training features offered by the app require an annual subscription, which adds another $100 to the price. Buy the Carv now and you can expect deliveries to take place in November this year. Check out the Kickstarter project here.