Frwd Outdoors Sports Computers for Exercise and Competition
August 7, 2007
Each innovator has a moment when the vision for something new turns into an achievable goal. The visionary moment for the Frwd products happened on a mountain bike trail where a competitor was left far behind the others. The sorry competitor wanted to learn why his performance was so much short of stronger riders' performance. It took a few years, but he managed to integrate an impressive collection of modern technology - a GPS receiver, a heart rate monitor, an altimeter, a chronometer, and related PC and mobile phone software - into a product that every athlete could use.
- Photo: Karoliina Paatos
Runners, cyclists, swimmers, skiers, and other endurance athletes have been using heart rate monitors for quite some time, while trekkers and mountaineers have used outdoors watches that can show altitude and weather trends. GPS satellite navigation receivers are being integrated into new products, such as smartphones and dog tracking devices. Yet, athletes who want know more than the time, distance, or heart rate, require a product that can monitor and analyze their overall performance.
A company called Frwd has designed a comprehensive solution for people who take their exercise seriously. The minimum system consists of a recorder unit, which can be attached to an arm, and a PC software that is used to analyze the captured information from a training session. In addition to the recorder and PC software, the advanced Frwd system also includes real-time exercise monitoring. A wrist-computer, or a software application on a smartphone is used for viewing live performance information.
The Frwd Recorder Unit
The Frwd recorder unit has only one button (On/Off). The unit automatically collects GPS location information for tracking the route, time, speed, distance, altitude with slope angles, and heart rate. For measuring the heart rate, the included transmitter belt must be worn. The GPS receiver needs signals from satellites, and only works outdoors (as any GPS device). When used indoors, the recorder unit saves data received from the heart rate sensor belt only. The recorder unit can store 10 to 60 hours of activity data, depending on the selected data logging frequency.
The Frwd Monitoring Units
Athletes who have time to follow their real time physical status need a wristwatch-style monitor, or a piece of software that runs on a smartphone. Using the smartphone for monitoring is the obvious choice if you are carrying a phone with you and it is easily accessible during the workout. Currently, only recent smartphones that are powered by the Symbian OS/S60 software are compatible with the monitoring application. For example, Nokia E- (such as the E65) and N-series (like the N76) smartphones are compatible with the software. The Frwd B Series recorder unit comes with a wireless Bluetooth transmitter that can transfer information to the smartphone as it is collected and recorded.
Once you have downloaded the free software to your smartphone and switched on the recorder unit, you can pick up your phone and view your heart rate with a graph, speed with a graph, distance, performance time, temperature, altitude with a graph, compass, location, route, and also get audible alerts about individually set heart rate and speed limits.
The other option for real time exercise monitoring is the Wrist Display unit. The unit is included with the Frwd W Series products. The wrist display is a wristwatch-like device that wirelessly receives information from the recorder unit. The Frwd wrist display can show real time speed, distance, heart rate, duration, time, altitude, heading, and EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) training effect. The unit is waterproof for splash water.
Frwd Exercise Analysis PC Software
After a day's competition or workout, it is time to learn from the past and plan for the future. Frwd products come with the Replayer PC Software that runs on Windows computers. The software has three main functions: Replay, Analyze and Race. The Replay mode shows the recorded route and altitude profile. The Analyze mode displays the overall performance with all related information. The Race mode lets you side by side compare up to five recorded activities. The data is transferred via included USB cable to the PC from the recorder unit. The location information can be transferred to the Google Earth service for displaying routes on a map.
The Frwd B- and W-Series systems are one of the first products that take such a comprehensive approach to collecting, monitoring, and analyzing training information. For athletes who take their training seriously, the product is a small investment when compared to the time spent on the sport itself. The advantage of the Frwd system is that it has been designed for detailed performance monitoring and analysis from the beginning.
There are, however, competitive products available. For example, Polar and Adidas have designed a system that allows small data-collector modules to be worn on shoes, shirts, and other garment. The collected information can be viewed on the Polar RS800 wrist-computer. Suunto has developed a wrist computer, the Suunto T3 that can be configured to collect data from a Pod. A Pod can be installed on a bicycle, shoe, arm, helmet, or bag. Garmin has introduced the 205 and 305 products that comprise a system that can collect and analyze information from outdoors sports activities.
Frwd products are available from resellers in select countries.
Rate the product:
