Swimming for the blind has been established as a Paralympic sport for over 50 years. Blind swimmers need an alert to know the exact time to turn, as their disability prevents them from determining this on their own. To do so, over the course of all these years coaches have used a pole with a hard sponge on the end to warn swimmers, which is somewhat denigrating and rudimentary, when bearing in mind that we live in the age of technology.

We want to put an end to this practice. Samsung technology has simplified many daily problems, so why not help improve the daily lives of elite athletes, such as Paralympic blind swimmers?

Our objective was to apply the brand’s mobile technology and the instruments required to improve these swimmers’ lives, eliminating the signal used until now, to make something more subtle and simpler that exercises the same function.

Before testing the Blind Cap and finishing its production process, we met with the Paralympic Committee to detail the needs and problems to resolve with our Blind Cap design. Then we implemented the cap at elite swimmer training sessions in categories S11, S12 and S13 (blind swimmer categories), for swimmers who will compete at the next Paralympic Games. In parallel, the app was uploaded to the Play Store and made available to all users, regardless of whether or not its use was oriented to coaches and swimmers using the Blind Cap. The app is compatible with Androids and with Gear S2, the Samsung smartwatch.

At this time, as it is not a commercial product, it is only used by the aforesaid coaches and swimmers at the facilities of the committee itself at which the elite athletes train and workout. The idea is for it to be introduced at professional competitions in the future, to replace tapping, and that it will be mass produced.