AN Olympic gold medal winner has helped develop specialist glasses that give cyclists eyes on the back of their heads.
Callum Skinner, who won medals in the 2016 games in Rio de Janiero, said the invention would "change the norm as we know it".
Skinner developed the technology with physicist Alex Macdonald despite being warned that their ambitions would prove "impossible".
The pair raised more than £100,000 through a Kickstarter campaign that was supported by more than 600 backers in 38 countries.
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The sunglasses allow cyclists to see forwards and backwards by shifting focus rather than having to turn their heads.
They use two-part angled lenses with semi-transparent mirrors and cost from £199.99, although there is a pre-order discount currently available.
The Edinburgh-based inventors hope their glasses will make amateur cycling safer and give other athletes such as runners and rowers a performance edge.
Skinner won gold and silver at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
He said: “As a passionate cyclist, I’m acutely aware of the importance of road safety.
“I’m also struck by the potential of HindSight glasses to help professional cyclists reach their peak performance.
“Managing aerodynamic profile is essential for any elite cyclist and, by turning back to look over your shoulder, you can easily lose efficiencies in your speed and performance.
“I believe HindSight glasses provide the answer to this and will change the norm as we know it.”
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Macdonald said: “As a regular cyclist, I was aware that knowing what was coming behind me would allow me to make smarter decisions, but I had no way to do it.
“HindSight glasses are designed to ensure the preservation of forward-facing vision, while adding the capacity to look behind. They allow peripheral vision to be maintained in the forward direction while checking behind, giving effectively the best of both worlds.”
Having been told by 11 lens manufacturers that that their proposed lens design was "impossible", the Edinburgh-based team worked with Bob Henderson, a former European inventor of the year, to create their unique two-part angled lens with semi-transparent mirrors.
The glasses won a series of entrepreneurial development awards in 2020 including the Scottish Edge Award.
A British Cycling State of Cycling report in 2019 found that almost nine in ten (87%) cyclists are "close passed" by vehicles at least once a week. As such, HindSight says its glasses are designed to help make commuter cyclists safer.
They are also intended to help professional cyclists and other athletes, such as runners and rowers, gain a performance edge by allowing them to see competitors without losing crucial seconds by looking back over their shoulders.
HindSight's products are available for pre-order now from HindSight.store.
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