| Brief | As an official sponsor of the Olympic Games, Samsung endeavoured to modernise Paralympic swimming. In the 56 years since visually impaired swimmers entered the Games, one thing has remained the same: coaches are obligated to tap competitors with a stick to signal that they are approaching the wall. But in the 2020 Games, this will be a thing of the past. A new application sends a vibration alert from the coach’s mobile or wearable device directly to the swimmer’s cap. And just like that, the “tap” is eliminated.
When blind swimmers compete in the paralympics, assistants on the poolside have to tap them with sticks to warn them that they’ve reached the end of their lane. As an official sponsor of the Games, Samsung came up with a solution. The “blind cap” incorporates a sensor that vibrates when it’s time to turn. The sensor is triggered via a smart watch worn by the swimmer’s coach, who simply presses a button at the right moment. Wireless technology eliminates the tap and makes life easier (and more elegant) for blind swimmers. |