GPS tracking technology has flown to the top of the sports tech industry in recent years for its ability to monitor athlete performance and health. With the help of satellites, the technology tracks things like distance run throughout a sporting match and at what speed.
Last week it was announced by the Brisbane Times that GPS technology may be on its way out thanks to a team of sports scientists at Griffith University in Brisbane. SABEL Sense is a small device that – rather than using GPS satellite technology – uses inbuilt inertial sensors. An accelerometer, gyroscope and digital magnetometer are the three sensors that set this brand new innovation apart from GPS.
Dr Jono Neville, a specialist in sports engineering at Griffith University, said the technology is more accurate and reliable than GPS data and opens the door to innovations in sports science.
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“The idea was that the current technology that is used by a lot of our sporting codes are GPS trackers, which are very popular because the data is fairly easy to interpret and it’s fairly easy to get your hands upon,” Dr Neville said.
“GPS are typically less accurate when you’ve got people doing either high acceleration or braking and high rates of change of direction.”
Overall, SABEL claims to have a much more in-depth and accurate reading than GPS and also holds the advantage of not having to be within satellite range. This means that athletes will be able to gather their feedback even whilst working out indoors. Indoor sports like basketball and netball haven’t had access to GPS technology while playing unless the roof is open.
The technology will rely heavily on an athlete’s step rate. The idea is that the small device can be used as a foot pod, can be attached to the lower back or the lower limbs.
The major titans in player tracking have mainly built their business around GPS tracking, however, SABEL’s new piece of technology is poised to disrupt this. While SABEL will obviously take time to create a brand image and awareness, if the inertial sensor system does challenge GPS, there is no reason why these GPS powerhouses cannot simply adapt with their resources and reputation.
In a world where technological advancement is moving forward at a ridiculous pace, all companies should expect new products to arise and challenge their business. So in an effort so not see a revolving door of sports tech businesses rising and plunging – and especially in this instance, with GPS and SABEL both aiming for the same outcome – it would be wise for companies to assess potential innovations like this.
Dr Neville says that he hopes to link up with sporting organisations all around the world to help improve the way athlete data is collected.