By Kalwinder KaurSep 20 2013
The GPS monitoring system is the most widely used 3D position and velocity technology in the world. Development efforts have evolved this system to track an athlete’s performance in indoor stadiums and arenas.
The most common issue with modern-day GPS systems is that they cannot navigate indoors. Recent efforts to address this challenging technological function can be seen by Locata Corporation Ltd – a privately-owned Australian company and have invented the LocataNet positioning signal interface, an indoor positioning system. Indoor navigation systems such as the LocataNet are now paving the way for emerging technology that can offer more diverse functions for a wider area of applications.
To date, athletes have found it difficult to track their performance in areas with a poor signal (i.e., in indoor stadiums). Recent research and developments efforts have now introduced the program termed Tracking Elite Athletes that allows for accurate analysis of an athlete’s performance. The new tracking system has been developed by CSIRO and Catapult Sports.
The aim of this technology is to help a coach track and develop game tactics and alter training programs based on fitness analysis. For the first time, the sports industry has a navigation tool that can track an athlete’s movements indoors.
Catapult Sports licensed CSIRO’s WASP technology – a portable radio device – and have integrated this into a tracking system that can be worn by athletes during performance. The device is designed to site between the scapula, has an absolute positional accuracy of 15-20cm, and has an inertial Movement Analysis component for real-time results. The device is also capable of tracking the athlete’s heart rate during performance.
The following video demonstrates the use of the world most advanced local positioning system for sports:
Catapult ClearSky
Video courtesy of Catapult Sports.
"The technology that this partnership has developed is ten times more accurate than GPS systems, and in sports where the results are closer and more technical, these results are much more important," - Dr Mark Hadley, Research Team Leader, CSIRO.
This technology is a great new approach for the sports industry to evolve the way athletes are monitored for their performance and could prove to be a key component for scoring sports performance in football and rugby.
References
- Abidin H.Z. Advancements in GPS Technology and Application.
- Catapult Sports
- CSIRO – Tracking the world’s top athletes
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