Entertainment, Explorations, Technology

Since it’s July, I know we’re all thinking about our next adventure at a snowy ski resort.

I’m not sure how your snow adventures unfold, but mine usually begin with a vain attempt to coordinate more than two carloads arriving at the mountain at different times, followed by a ride up a lift and a good long stare at the trail map at the top during which we try to memorize a way down, hopefully bumping into our friends without too much grief.

On the way down I frequently veer off onto the wrong run by mistake, sometimes even ending up in the wrong place altogether, annoying my riding companions in the process.

Mobile phones and two-way radios have gone a long way toward helping with these situations but there’s still room for more comprehensive ways to a) not get lost, and b) more thoroughly enjoy time on the mountain with friends.

This goggle concept pulls together a heads-up display, GPS/accelerometer technology, and mobile messaging. Available functions at any given time depend on whether they’re set to Stop or Go mode.

In Stop mode there are several things a wearer can do:

• Read incoming messages from friends as text, or voice converted to text
• Activate an interactive target marker to geo-locate spots on the slopes he wants to find again. Perfect while on the lift scouting terrain to hit on the way down.
• See which three runs are closest or most readily accessible from the top of the current lift or gondola

In Go mode, a wearer can:

• See his speed
• See which two lifts he can most readily reach from the trail he’s on
• Track his set targets

All modes show a compass, live trail map, time, temperature, altitude, current location (trail or lift), song selection, and the locations of up to five customizable friends who have the same goggles or GPS-enabled mobile devices. Any of these functions can be programmed to disable in either or both modes at the user’s discretion for skiers or riders who prefer less of an interface.