Recon Instruments

Recon Instruments was a Canadian technology company that developed head-worn computing devices for sports and, later, industrial applications. Its products combined a small near-eye display with GPS, motion and environmental sensors, wireless connectivity, and software for recording and presenting activity data. The company positioned these devices as heads-up displays, although its screens were opaque, peripheral microdisplays rather than transparent displays that placed information directly over the user's view. Users generally looked down and to the side to read metrics, maps, alerts, and notifications. The concept originated in September 2006 as an integrated MBA project at the University of British Columbia's Robert H. Lee Sauder School of Business. The founding team initially investigated a display system for swimmers. Dan Eisenhardt, a competitive swimmer, saw potential in replacing the poolside clock with information visible during a workout. An existing patent covering swimming goggles with a display, together with the technical difficulty of building a reliable device for a small, wet form factor, led the team to shift toward winter sports. Recon Instruments was incorporated in January 2008 and initially operated from small offices and laboratory spaces associated with the university. It moved to Vancouver's Yaletown district in April 2010. Recon's first commercial product, the Transcend, entered the market in October 2010. Developed with Zeal Optics, it embedded a display in a snow-goggle frame and presented information such as speed, altitude, temperature, GPS maps, and activity data. The launch gave Recon an early position in sports wearables, preceding the commercial introduction of Google Glass by roughly a year and a half. The Transcend received a Consumer Electronics Show Best of Innovations award in the personal electronics category in 2011. The company expanded its product architecture with the MOD and MOD Live displays in November 2011. These units were sold separately from goggles and could be fitted into compatible frames from brands including Uvex, Alpina, and Briko. Oakley incorporated the MOD Live into its Airwave snow goggles. The MOD Live added Bluetooth smartphone connectivity and could show caller identification and SMS notifications in addition to sports metrics and navigation information. Financing helped Recon develop its hardware and distribution network. In January 2012, Vanedge Capital and Kopin Corporation provided a reported $10 million Series A round. Intel Capital invested in September 2013, supporting product development, manufacturing, marketing, and international sales. Motorola Solutions invested in April 2014 and subsequently demonstrated Recon equipment in enterprise and law-enforcement contexts. Recon also worked with software companies including SAP and APX Labs to explore industrial uses for its wearable platform. Recon introduced Snow2 in November 2013 as its most advanced standalone winter-sports display. Compared with the earlier MOD products, Snow2 offered a faster processor, improved display brightness and contrast, longer battery life, Wi-Fi, and Made for iPhone certification. It supported smartphone notifications, social features, friend tracking, and GPS-based maps, and could be integrated with compatible eyewear from several established ski-goggle manufacturers. Apple sold the Oakley Airwave 1.5, which incorporated Snow2 technology, through its retail and online channels. The company's move beyond winter sports centered on Recon Jet, a device combining a Recon-designed sunglass frame with polarized lenses and a side-mounted display. Jet targeted cycling and running, while enterprise partnerships sought applications in manufacturing, oil and gas, field service, and other professional environments. It included GPS, activity sensors, Bluetooth, ANT+ support for external sensors, a camera, smartphone notifications, and an interchangeable battery. ReconOS, an Android-b…

Recon Instruments developed from a University of British Columbia business-school project begun in September 2006. The founding team—Dan Eisenhardt, Hamid Abdollahi, Fraser Hall, and Darcy Hughes—first considered a display for swimmers. Eisenhardt's experience as a competitive swimmer suggested that a near-eye display could replace the clock at the side of a pool. A pre-existing patent for swimming goggles with a display, combined with the engineering difficulty of creating a compact and water-resistant product, redirected the project toward winter sports. Recon Instruments incorporated in January 2008. It worked initially from small offices and laboratory spaces rented from the University of British Columbia before moving to Vancouver's Yaletown district in April 2010. Its first commercial product, Transcend, launched globally in October 2010 through a collaboration with Zeal Optics. The device placed an LCD display into a snow-goggle frame and presented GPS maps, speed, altitude, temperature, and other activity information. It won a 2011 Consumer Electronics Show Best of Innovations award in personal electronics. In November 2011, Recon released MOD and MOD Live as modular displays that could be installed in compatible goggles. The products broadened Recon's partnerships with eyewear companies such as Uvex, Alpina, Briko, and Oakley. MOD Live added Bluetooth communication with smartphones, enabling caller identification and SMS notifications. Oakley's Airwave goggles incorporated Recon's technology and helped expose the platform to established winter-sports consumers. The company secured substantial outside backing as it developed the product line. Vanedge Capital and Kopin Corporation supplied a reported $10 million Series A round in January 2012. Intel Capital invested in September 2013, describing wearable computing as a strategic area and emphasizing Recon's potential for expanded product development and global distribution. Motorola Solutions invested in April 2014 and explored public-safety and enterprise applications. Recon also worked with SAP and APX Labs on software and industrial use cases. Snow2, introduced in November 2013, was a more capable standalone winter-sports display. It offered improved processing, contrast, brightness, battery life, Wi-Fi, iPhone certification, social functions, friend tracking, and smartphone notifications. The device could be fitted into compatible goggles from multiple manufacturers, while Oakley's Airwave 1.5 integrated the technology into a complete goggle product. Recon then expanded into cycling, running, and professional applications with Recon Jet. Unlike the modular Snow2, Jet used a Recon-designed sunglass frame with polarized lenses. Its sensors tracked speed, pace, distance, and elevation gain; GPS provided location data; Bluetooth and ANT+ supported smartphones and external sensors; and a camera and interchangeable battery broadened its utility. The company positioned Jet both as a consumer fitness product and as a platform for industrial work, including manufacturing and oil-and-gas operations. Recon's software ecosystem included ReconOS, an Android-based operating system adapted to a small peripheral display; Engage, a web and mobile service for activity synchronization and sharing; Uplink, a desktop utility for registration and software updates; and an SDK for third-party applications. ReconOS supported maps, activity metrics, social sharing, phone notifications, music controls, and applications such as nutrition and camera-control tools. Intel acquired Recon on June 17, 2015. The acquisition was intended to combine Recon's wearable expertise with Intel's technical and manufacturing resources. Although an acquisition value as high as C$175 million was reported, the figure was not confirmed by Recon's leadership and should not be treated as established. Recon remained in Vancouver and operated as an Intel company after the transaction. Jet launched into a market that was interested in wearable displays but still constrained by hardware, software, and usability limitations. Reviews acknowledged Recon's role as an early fitness-oriented smart-eyewear company, while criticizing Jet's price, battery life, limited field of view, distraction, GPS lag or accuracy, interface complexity, and software problems. The displays were opaque rather than transparent, meaning that the products were peripheral head-mounted computers rather than true see-through augmented-reality glasses. In June 2017, Intel announced that all remaining Recon products, including Recon Jet and Recon Jet Pro, would be discontinued by the end of the year. Recon's website and social-media channels became inactive around that period. Bloomberg subsequently reported in October 2017 that Intel had closed the Recon division earlier in the summer. Recon Instruments is therefore defunct, but its products remain notable as early commercial attempts to combine sports instrumentation, navigation, smartphone connectivity, and near-eye computing.

• 2017

  Products discontinued and division closed

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Intel announces the discontinuation of remaining Recon products, followed by the closure of the Recon division.

• 2015

  Intel acquisition

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Intel acquires Recon Instruments on June 17 and continues its Vancouver-based operations.

• 2014

  Motorola Solutions investment

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Motorola Solutions invests in the company and demonstrates Recon technology for professional users.

• 2013

  Intel Capital investment and Snow2 launch

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Intel Capital invests in Recon, and Recon introduces Snow2 with upgraded processing, connectivity, display performance, and battery life.

• 2012

  Series A financing

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Vanedge Capital and Kopin Corporation provide a reported $10 million Series A investment.

• 2011

  Transcend wins CES recognition

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Transcend receives a Consumer Electronics Show Best of Innovations award for personal electronics.

• 2011

  MOD and MOD Live introduced

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Recon releases modular displays for compatible goggles, with MOD Live adding Bluetooth smartphone features.

• 2010

  Transcend reaches the market

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Recon launches its first commercial winter-sports display in October in a Zeal Optics snow-goggle frame.

• 2008

  Recon Instruments incorporated

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  The company is incorporated in January and begins operating from Vancouver-area university-linked office and laboratory space.

• 2006

  Wearable-display concept begins at UBC

  [1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  The founders develop an MBA project for a swimmer-oriented display before shifting their attention to winter sports.

Early sports-focused smart eyewear for displaying live activity metrics, navigation, notifications, and sensor data directly beside the user's line of sight, later extended toward industrial and enterprise use.

• Winter-sports smart display · 2010

  Transcend

  Recon's first commercial product, released in October 2010, embedded a small LCD display into a Zeal Optics snow-goggle frame. It presented speed, altitude, temperature, GPS maps, and other activity information, and enabled users to share recorded data. Its launch established Recon's sports-wearable identity and preceded the commercial arrival of Google Glass by approximately a year and a half.

• Modular winter-sports display · 2011

  MOD

  Introduced in November 2011, MOD was a standalone display module designed to fit specially prepared Recon-Ready snow goggles. It supplied the core sports functions associated with Transcend, including activity metrics and navigation, while allowing customers to select compatible eyewear from partner manufacturers.

• Connected winter-sports display · 2011

  MOD Live

  MOD Live extended the modular display concept with Bluetooth smartphone connectivity. When paired with a phone, it could show caller identification and SMS notifications alongside GPS information and winter-sports metrics. Oakley incorporated the technology into its Airwave snow goggles, while other compatible frames came from brands including Uvex, Alpina, and Briko.

• Winter-sports smart display · 2013

  Snow2

  Snow2, launched in November 2013, was Recon's upgraded standalone winter-sports display. It used a faster processor and improved display brightness and contrast, offered longer battery life and Wi-Fi, and carried Made for iPhone certification. It supported smartphone notifications, social sharing, friend tracking, and GPS maps, and could be installed in compatible eyewear from several ski-goggle manufacturers.

• Fitness smart glasses · 2015

  Recon Jet

  Recon Jet combined a side-mounted near-eye display with a Recon-designed sunglass frame and polarized lenses. Intended for cycling, running, and related activities, it included GPS, speed and distance tracking, elevation data, Bluetooth, ANT+ sensor support, smartphone notifications, a camera, and an interchangeable battery. Recon also promoted Jet as a platform for industrial and professional applications.

• Professional smart eyewear

  Recon Jet Pro

  Jet Pro was part of Recon's professional-oriented smart-eyewear offering. The platform was intended to extend the Jet concept to enterprise and industrial workflows, including field and operational environments. Intel announced its discontinuation along with the remaining Recon product portfolio in 2017.

• Wearable operating system

  ReconOS

  ReconOS was an Android-based operating system customized for Recon's small peripheral displays. It presented live metrics, GPS maps, social-sharing functions, smartphone notifications, music controls, and third-party applications. Recon supplied an SDK that allowed developers to create software for products including Snow2 and Jet.

• Activity-data software platform

  Engage

  Engage was Recon's web and mobile software environment for viewing, synchronizing, mapping, and sharing activity data. The service supported friend tagging, photographs, software updates, third-party applications, smartphone pairing, notifications, friend tracking, and music controls through iOS and Android applications.

• 2017

  Discontinuation of the Recon product portfolioStrategy

  Background

  Intel announced that the remaining Recon products were no longer part of its ongoing strategy.

  Action taken

  Intel announced the discontinuation of Recon Jet and Recon Jet Pro and ceased Recon's operating activities.

  Aftermath

  Recon's website and social-media presence became inactive, and later reporting said the division had been closed in early summer 2017.

  Source

• 2015

  Acquisition by IntelM&A

  Background

  Intel had invested in Recon and viewed wearables as an area for technology and platform development.

  Action taken

  Intel acquired Recon Instruments on June 17, 2015, retaining the Vancouver base and incorporating the company into Intel's wearable efforts.

  Aftermath

  Recon operated as an Intel company, but Intel later discontinued its products and closed the division. A reported acquisition value of up to C$175 million was not confirmed and is omitted from financial figures.

  Source

• 2014

  Expansion toward enterprise and industrial applicationsStrategy

  Background

  Recon's wearable display technology had potential uses beyond consumer winter sports.

  Action taken

  The company partnered with SAP and APX Labs and worked with Motorola Solutions to explore manufacturing, oil-and-gas, public-safety, and other professional applications.

  Aftermath

  The enterprise direction informed the positioning of Jet and later professional variants, although the product division was ultimately discontinued.

  Source

• 2013

  Upgrade from MOD Live to Snow2Generation change

  Background

  Recon needed stronger performance and connectivity for a more capable winter-sports platform.

  Action taken

  Snow2 introduced faster processing, improved display quality, longer battery life, Wi-Fi, and expanded mobile and social features.

  Aftermath

  Snow2 became the company's principal standalone winter-sports display and was integrated into Oakley's Airwave 1.5.

  Source

• 2011

  Move to modular MOD displaysProduct launch

  Background

  Recon sought to broaden distribution beyond a single integrated goggle product.

  Action taken

  It released MOD and MOD Live as modules that could be fitted into compatible eyewear from partner brands.

  Aftermath

  The modular approach enabled partnerships with Oakley and other eyewear manufacturers and introduced smartphone notification features through MOD Live.

  Source

• 2006

  Shift from swimming displays to winter-sports wearablesStrategy

  Background

  The founding team initially explored a heads-up display for swimmers, but an existing patent and the engineering challenges of a swimming-goggle form factor made that direction impractical.

  Action taken

  Recon redirected its product development toward snow sports, where it could build a display into or alongside ski goggles.

  Aftermath

  The change produced the Transcend and established Recon's initial commercial market.

  Source

• 2017

  Intel discontinues remaining Recon products[1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy · Other

  Intel announced that Recon Jet and Recon Jet Pro would be discontinued, and later reporting indicated that the Recon division had been closed.

• 2015

  Intel acquires Recon Instruments[1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Intel acquired Recon Instruments and retained its Vancouver operations while pursuing broader wearable-device platforms.

• 2015

  Recon Jet receives mixed reviews[1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Other

  Reviews of Recon Jet praised its early fitness-wearable concept but cited its cost, battery limitations, restricted display view, GPS performance, and software shortcomings.

• 2014

  Motorola Solutions invests in Recon Instruments[1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Motorola Solutions invested in Recon and demonstrated its wearable technology for enterprise and law-enforcement scenarios.

• 2013

  Intel Capital invests in Recon Instruments[1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Intel's venture arm invested in Recon to accelerate product development, marketing, manufacturing, operations, and global sales.

• 2013

  Recon introduces Snow2[1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Snow2 added improved processing, display performance, battery life, Wi-Fi, smartphone integration, and expanded compatibility with winter-sports eyewear.

• 2012

  Recon Instruments raises Series A financing[1]Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Vanedge Capital and Kopin Corporation provided a reported $10 million Series A investment to support Recon's wearable-display development.

1. 1Recon Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org