Thoughts on a new feedback device for USRPT

[RJF96]

Hi all,

I’m studying Sports Engineering in Glasgow, Scotland and for my 4th year design project I am designing a device that will adhere to the specific needs of coaches and swimmers who do USRPT. I hope to address the problems that the swimmer/coach has obtaining accurate time feedback (within 0.2s), specifically in 15/20m sprint training. The device will be able to give immediate feedback on how fast a swimmer has swum over a specific repetition distance and inform if they have met their “target time” (within 0.2s or faster). I’ve personally been doing variations of USRPT for about 8 years as a swimmer (Free Style SC) but through my research I have developed a greater understanding of the importance of specificity in training and how USRPT addresses this.

The coaches I have spoken to have various approaches to the issues of defining the 15m for the swimmers (stroke count, metronomes, floor markers to name a few) , and have found that the closest a swimmer knows if they’ve “failed” or not on a repetition is with 1-1 coaching with a stop watch and visual markers for the coach.

I would be really grateful if you could give me an insight to your own methods of timing the 15/20m race distance and struggles you have using USRPT on other race distances too? And if a product like this were to exist – how often would you use it and what functions would you like the most from it?

I’m really interested how coaches would want to interact with the product as well as the swimmer – would you want to know what times (or simply indication of pass/fail) from the device as well as the swimmer?

Any information and feedback you have on my project would be really appreciated,

Many Thanks

Rachel

[ryanupper]

Rachel,

Here is triton wear https://www.tritonwear.com/
Don’t know your device specs but anything on the wrist seems inappropriate. Triton wear is attached to the goggle strap. I talked to them over a year ago but they didn’t have a “velocity profile” (their words) to be able to use the device for distances under 25y/m. Not sure how the device would know to “mark” a fairly arbitrary point in the pool. Wall-to-wall you come to a complete stop but after 15-20y/m the swimmer might glide which could really mess up the numbers.

Ryan

[RJF96]

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the link, I had come across Xmetrics device but not the triton wear. Triton seems to address many of the functions that I am trying to address too and more, apart from the 15m distance. That makes sense about the velocity profile as its changing every split second with the swimmers shape. Not to mention the complications of determining the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic behaviour of the individual swimmer that is probably needed to make a “real-time” distance device. I’ve not given myself an easy task haha.

I also have a similar view about the wrist, mostly because the swimmer cannot get obvious real-time feedback. Was this similar to your reasoning?

Rachel

[ryanupper]

The feedback and you would need to create a profile for all 4 strokes since they all have different shapes and timing. Plus, if the swimmer has an inefficient stroke cycle (S-shape, wide pull, wide recovery, straight arm pull, etc.) the reading might be different than an efficient cycle (vertical forearm straight backward) If you need velocity metrics just stick to a spot on the body with the least variability.

[doc]

I’ll chime in here,
Tritonwear has really trick metrics. Won’t argue that. You can get different metrics for your needs at different price points. The top of the line with all the things you’d need is $40/month/swimmer. Too expensive. I will say again, it’s trick. It also involves some set-up every day and if you are renting a pool that can get tiresome and you’d need a safe place to store it.

Another product you might what to look in to is Firebelly. I got the owner/software designer to add turn times to the app. We have been using it with the distance kids for about a year now and the feedback is positive. It will actually talk to them (guys say it’s like listening to their girl friend, not sure that’s a positive :). It’ll tell them splits, cycles, tempo and now turn time. I’ve found that to be information overload. We stick to just 2 metrics for now and that’s working well. It’s in the $229/unit range and all the updates are free and you just download to your phone from Google or Apps stores. Working on the download from the app to EXCEL to get it a little more functional for coaches.

Worth looking in to.

Doc

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