Do we use GPS system during football practices?
- Thread starter legi
- Start date
Pretty cool article. They got anything that can tell us when a lineman is about to strain a knee ligament?
That seems like a pretty cool system. Though I'd think a simple accelerometer would be cheaper and provide better data. Since when it comes to a lot of positions they aren't moving far enough to get consistently accurate speed and acceleration data via GPS.
Cool stuff. I wouldn't think the precision would be enough, but that's why I am not in that industry :yes:
It's entirely possible to get sub-centimeter accuracy in real-time with expensive equipment ($6-7k per receiver). GPS was never designed to be that accurate originally, but engineers figured out some rather innovative ways of processing the signals from the satellites to achieve this level of accuracy.
Of course I doubt they are using anything this fancy... the antennas in that price range are the big, approximately 1 foot diameter disks you see surveyors using on highway or other construction projects. There's also ways of using cheaper receivers and processing data after collection to get good, but not as detailed accuracy.
Most of that stuff also assumes that everything is stationary and you have a perfectly clear view of the sky. Even if you managed to turn everyone's helmet into a perfect radome you aren't going to even get to within an order of magnitude of the accuracy they get while surveying with something mounted on a shoulderpad.
Not to downplay what they are doing with this technology, which I think is pretty cool.
This technology is really the future of training and practice.
Nebraska is also using this technology for football and soccer. Nebraska has also scaled back their onfield practice time for the entire year. Before they would have 3+ hour practices once you got pre-practice, stretching, and practice all fit in. Now they spend more time in the film room for pre-practice and once they get out to the field its a stretch and practice. They have scaled the entire time outside at practice back to 1.5 hours. The theory is that less time for the "extras" will keep your mind more focused on the task at hand- more repetitions- less time to get injured will lead to being fresher for the end of the year- and if you are in the title hunt and may be included into the "playoff" you could be playing 14-15 games in a year.
Nebraska is also using this technology for football and soccer. Nebraska has also scaled back their onfield practice time for the entire year. Before they would have 3+ hour practices once you got pre-practice, stretching, and practice all fit in. Now they spend more time in the film room for pre-practice and once they get out to the field its a stretch and practice. They have scaled the entire time outside at practice back to 1.5 hours. The theory is that less time for the "extras" will keep your mind more focused on the task at hand- more repetitions- less time to get injured will lead to being fresher for the end of the year- and if you are in the title hunt and may be included into the "playoff" you could be playing 14-15 games in a year.
Yeah, accuracy while moving is a whole other ball game, but you can do pretty well with the right equipment (and provided you don't lose the lock on your satellites, base station, etc.)
Local augmentation systems also resolve some of the issues with satellite only GPS. I'm guessing the GPS systems used in sports are probably using local augmentation set up over the defined areas of the practice facilities.
Augmented GPS systems are being used for autonomous landing of aircraft carrying hundreds of passengers moving much faster than the fastest wide receiver, it's not *that* unreliable for moving objects.
Funds raised by the Cyclone Gridiron Club were used to purchase ISU's first Catapult Sports units, 28 total. CPR has stated that these are already paying off for the Cyclones in their approach to training the players.
Go Cyclones!
Go Cyclones!
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GPS accuracy and equipment have a long way just in the last 5 years. A lot of states have their own network so we just use rovers that weigh around 10 lbs and a cell phone for your internet connection. Everything is Bluetooth and super slick. But these setups cost 20 grand and up.
It looks like we are using some advanced position or sensor data. Rhoads did talk quite a bit about it starting at 2:30 mins in the media day special today. Using a system called, Catapult on 28 players. Tracks their distance run, speed levels and total "load" or the energy it took to do those things. After reading the OP article it is the same system.
I like it and it shows that he is willing to make changes as he sees results. Everyone will be using it to some degree might as well be early.
I like it and it shows that he is willing to make changes as he sees results. Everyone will be using it to some degree might as well be early.
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At that scrimmage I'm not supposed to talk about, Rhoads spoke before it and he mentioned something about how they are measuring players loads during practice. Said Jarvis West was the most used and through 5 practices had ran like 25 miles. I couldn't hear exactly what he said.
