NEWS

Swimmo Kickstarter campaign hits target after first day

A comparison of world record swimming times over the years shows that the elites are getting faster and faster. 

Mark Spitz’s world record time of 51.22 for 100m freestyle in 1972 looks relatively pedestrian today. Part of the reason for that is improvements in technology. For example, high resolution underwater video has allowed detailed analysis of stroke technique.

But developing new technology costs money. Fortunately, innovations in fund-raising techniques mean potential technology developers can take their ideas directly to their target audience and ask them to invest directly.
This is exactly what Swimmo is doing through a new campaign on Kickstarter.com.
Swimmo is a “smartwatch for swimming enthusiasts”. The developers say the product will help swimmers improve their strength and get in shape.
“There are many apps and devices that support the training of people who run or ride a bike. However, it’s not the case for swimming,” says Mateusz Heleniak, Swimmo Trainer Inc’s CEO. “The market lacks a solution that provides monitoring of swimming and improving one’s results. We experienced it ourselves and decided to change it.  That’s how we came up with the idea for Swimmo, a smartwatch overcoming all the challenges that water presents to electronics. This is a device which effectively helps training, allowing users to develop strength and power of muscles. We have fitted it with a number of proprietary technologies such as Rotate&Tap gesture control, a waterproof heartbeat sensor, IntensityCoach and PaceKeeper which help inform the swimmer of their pace in comparison to their current training plan.”
Swimmo is scheduled to reach its backers in October 2015.
The Kickstarter campaign went live on Thursday 16 April and has already reached its target. However, interested customers can still invest for an opportunity to be one of the first to receive the product.
Find out more at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/swimmo/swimmo-the-ultimate-swimmers-smartwatch-improving

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I created Outdoor Swimmer in 2011 (initially as H2Open Magazine) as an outlet for my passion for swimming outdoors. I've been a swimmer and outdoor swimmer for as long as I remember. Swimming has made a huge difference to my life and I want to share its joys and benefits with as many people as possible. I am also the author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 a Year and I provide one-to-one support to swimmers through Swim Mentoring.