Sports tech start-up develops tracking system for athletes at home

  • Photo: Output Sports' CEO scoops Best Business Idea award (c) Output Sports

    An Irish sports tech start-up has developed a system that can test athletic performance and track training programmes with a single wearable sensor.

    Output Sports said that its Output // Capture system can be used at home by athletes and can be tracked via an app.

    Dr Martin O’Reilly, CEO of Output Sports added that this can particularly help the athletic community having to adapt to home-workouts due because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Among those using the system are rugby players Adam Byrne and Dave Kearney, and Paralympic swimmer, Nicole Turner, who is using the app to provide testing and tracking data to her strength and conditioning coach, Niamh Buffini.

    Niamh commented: “The beauty of the Output Sports system is that the speed at which you receive the results from the athlete is like no other. You can go back and compare the previous test scores on a timeline graph that the system automatically creates for you. Another unique quality is that it allows you to track things such as mobility and power.

    “It has also eliminated the need to formally set big testing events which can be stressful for some athletes and the continuous nature works well for the athletes while they train remotely.”


    Leinster rugby player, Dave Kearney uses Output // Capture for home training

    Leinster rugby player, Adam Byrne, who is also an angel investor in Output Sports said, “I am currently sharing a house with Dave Kearney, and using Output // Capture, in conjunction with the plans sent out by Leinster Rugby, means we haven’t deviated too far from our usual daily routine.”

    “In addition to our standard daily monitoring I’ve also been able to track a few areas specific to me such as my ankle mobility, jump height and measure the range of motion on each rep of my calf raises with Output Sports sensor unit.”

    Output Sports has also launched a competition to enable athletes and coaches from all sporting disciplines worldwide to compete and compare fitness levels with six fitness tests.

    Two winners will receive full year memberships for Output // Capture, with unlimited athlete profiles, “for the best all-round athlete and the best video content submitted.”

    The six tests are push-ups, 10-5 pogo tests, straight-leg raise, chin-ups, single-leg balance and countermovement jumps.

    To enter the competition entrants simply video and record themselves doing the tests with Output // Capture, then share the videos and results on Twitter or Instagram, tagging @outputsports and #OUTPUTCOMBINE.

    Dr Darragh Whelan, CSO at the company said they have already had entrants from across Ireland, Europe and the US and the competition is open until at least the middle of next month.

    Output Sports was co-founded in 2018 as a spin-out from the UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science and the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics.Sport

    Earlier this year it closed a €1.3 million in seed funding round.

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    Source: Written from press release

    About the author

    Niamh is a Sync NI writer with a previous background of working in FinTech and financial crime. She has a special interest in sports and emerging technologies. To connect with Niamh, feel free to send her an email or connect on Twitter.

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