Development of a low-cost team performance tracking system

BackgroundSports technologies are increasingly attracting attention and gaining market share. Since athletes' performance directly affects a team's success and financial income, tracking their performance is essential.MethodsIn this study, a team performance tracking system was developed and tested with volleyball players. The designed system measured some parameters in 6 volleyball players during an indoor training (18 x 9 m court), such as heart rate, R-R interval, core temperature, and acceleration. These measurements were used to calculate the athletes' internal (heart rate reserve percentage, training impulse) and external (player load, accumulated player load) load parameters and present them to the coach in real-time. The ESP-NOW protocol was employed for high-speed, long-distance data transmission without the need for an external modem, utilizing the microcontroller's built-in Wi-Fi hardware.ResultsHeart rate, R-R interval, core temperature, and acceleration values were acquired simultaneously for 3 h from all team athletes in real time. This allowed for high-frequency, low-cost, real-time monitoring of the athletes' performance.ConclusionsThe designed system demonstrated its operability and applicability, aiming to enhance team performance and reduce the risk of injury to athletes. The integrated core temperature monitoring provides unique physiological insights unavailable in current commercial systems.