As part of its sponsorship of the Spanish Paralympic Committee, Samsung Electronics in tandem with partner agency Cheil Spain have created a hi-tech swimming cap to aid blind para-swimmers.
The revolutionary ‘Blind Caps’ are fitted with Bluetooth technology and vibrating sensors which enable coaches to remotely alert visually impaired and blind swimmers when they need to turn at the end of their length.
The coach or support staff member simply presses a prompt on the linked smartphone which communicates directly with the cap.
A disruptive sports aid, this development that could potentially end the current basic and lo-fi practice of using poles to tap swimmers on the head when they are about to reach the pool end wall.
Samsung and Cheil have been testing the device with the Spanish Paralympic Committee ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
Promoted through a digital, social and PR push led by an explanatory and demonstrative film.
‘Blind Cap is an innovation that builds upon one of Samsung’s core values, which is ‘meaningful progress through technology’,’ says Breno Cotta, executive creative director of Cheil Spain.
‘It’s much more than a wearable, it serves as a standard of innovation and we are convinced that it will soon be a reality in the Paralympic Games. It is a winning lap for Paralympic swimming.’
Comment
As Malcolm Poynton, global chief creative officer Cheil Worldwide, argues, mobile is central to how brands connect with consumers today and in the future and that counts to all consumers.
‘As a network, we’re excited to continue leading the way, with Blind Cap being yet another example of how we’re innovating with Samsung’s mobile technologies to help improve everyday life,’ trumpets Poynton.
This disruptive piece of swimming tech is sophisticated, startling and fairly simple.
Perhaps many of the very best tech innovations seem straightforward once they have been launched on the world?
When it comes to PR-friendly tech innovations, Samsung is certainly setting a high bar at the moment.
After all, the Blind Cap debuts at the same time as the Korean conglomerate’s smart surfboard and a prototype mobile app that aids mothers connect with incubator-bound babies.
But what the swimming cap did that neither of the others managed, is to win a Cyber and Mobile Lions award at Cannes 2016.
Links:
Samsung Spain Web:
http://www.samsung.com/es/home/
Samsung Spain Twitter:
https://twitter.com/samsungespana?lang=en
Samsung Spain Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SamsungEspana/
Spanish Paralympic Committee:
https://www.paralympic.org/spain
Cheil Spain Web:
Cheil Spain Twitter:
https://twitter.com/cheilspain
Cheil Spain Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SpainCheil/
