rideon-imageThere’s next to no snow in the Cascades, making this an especially tough year on the slopes for ski and snowboard fanatics in the Pacific Northwest.

So, at least skiers can get some thrills reading about cool new technologies like RideOn, which just became a smashing success on Indiegogo. The company — which already topped its $75,000 Indiegogo goal with 25 days to go— says it is the first maker of augmented reality goggles for skiing and snowboarding.

ar-goggles3“RideOn’s features let users interact with friends, navigate the mountain’s slopes, and play ski games to train their skills,” co-founder Alon Getz tells GeekWire. “This all happens completely hands-free, with a floating UI activated when users stare at friends, points of interest (like lodges and lifts), or buttons fixed to the sky above.”

Interestingly, RideOn’s 6-person team is based in Tel Aviv — not really known as a ski paradise. But co-founder Getz — a software engineer who previously built augmented reality displays for fighter pilots — notes that the Alps are “just a 3-hour flight away.” So, maybe that gives skiers in the Northwest a little perspective. RideOn is planning to ship the goggles in September, a time when skiers and snowboarders will be gearing up for better snow in 2016.

Here’s a closer look at the RideOn system.

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