The Race Club App: Progress Report
If you haven’t already heard, we are building a new swimming app at The Race Club. Appropriately, we are calling it The Race Club app, set to be released next Spring.
To do so, we have built an incredible team of software engineers and designers based in Finland. The original software designer for the Smart Paddles (Finland), which we have used now for four years, has joined our team.
There are three primary reasons why we decided to do this ambitious project on our own. First, our Smart Paddles are getting to be old and outdated. While they still work, the sensor technology has improved greatly since the Smart Paddles were introduced years ago.
Second, we value the testing we do so much, we want to make it available for use by any swimming or triathlete coach worldwide. Only so many people can come to San Diego to be tested each year.
Third, I could not seem to get any of the current swimming companies working with sensors interested in a partnership with us. So, we decided to go it alone.
Recently, we received our first prototypes of the paddles (each swimmer will wear a sensor on each hand, one on the lower back and one on the goggle strap). The results we are seeing so far and the preliminary design for the app are very good. Well, we will let you be the judge when you see them.
There is way too much detail on the app to go over in this short Aquanote, but I will now simply give you an overview. To perform a test, all you will need is an iPhone or an Android phone, a selfie stick, a water-resistant cover for your phone, a set of paddles (sensors), and, of course, the TRC app.
The tests require a few minutes to perform, a few seconds to upload the data and a few minutes to upload the videos (all testing is synchronized to the swimmer’s video). The analyses provide an overview for the swim, and detailed data for the pull, kick, coupling and drag. Information overload?? Not with this one.
A glimpse of the app showing a video of the swimmer with force curves from the hands on the on top graph. The actual force measurements are shown on the bar on the right. Too messy? Click the arrow box on the right and the graphs for that metric will disappear. Want it bigger? Download the app on your laptop and go full screen view. You will see all the details.
Each metric will be coded/colored in red, yellow or green, depending on how the swimmer performs. If the metric is displayed in red or yellow, meaning the swimmer needs help, by clicking on the metric, the swimmer will be directed to the Race Club drills we recommend to help correct that specific flaw in technique. Once click and the swimmer will know how to correct the problem.
Oh, there is so much more to tell! You will just have to wait.
We can’t wait to launch the TRC app, and will update you again as we get closer to that date next year.
Yours in Swimming,
Gary Sr.