Case Studies
Location
Kilkenny and Carlow
“I sat down at the table in IT Carlow and started designing a new product that would include sensors that would feed information into an app with all the bells and whistles. Little did I know how much work it would take to get that done.”
Company Profile
ND Sports Performance specialise in Sports Evaluation Technology. Hamstring Solo is a patented fitness and testing apparatus for professional sports teams. Hamstring injuries are the number one injury in elite sport. Current exercise methods are not measurable and are often completed incorrectly, thus prolonging the injury. The Hamstring Solo allows athletes to undertake and complete exercise correctly.
Problem to Be Solved
The Design+ Technology Gateway based at the Institute of Technology Carlow, provides a design led approach to projects in the areas of engineering, ICT and bioscience. The challenge was to assist ND Sports Performance to create a device that conditions hamstrings without assistance from another person. Previous exercise methods are not measurable and are often completed incorrectly, therefore prolonging the injury.
The Solution
Sensors on the Hamstring Solo Elite device collate data that is stored on a cloud-based platform – these can be compared overtime to view progress. The device must not require help from another person to use it. The working mechanism, which also allowed Hamstring Solo to be used as testing apparatus, needed to be developed and solutions sought for the design issues it presented in earlier prototypes.
Impact for the Company
The visual presence of the product was addressed in the design of the overall colour pallet and feel of the product. The feet and end caps of the product were given a distinguishing design along with the kneeling pads. Addressing the visual presence of the product ensured that the physical design communicated strength and technical excellence. The device does not require help from another person to use it.
A multifunctional app provides instantaneous, user-friendly, and readily exportable feedback, which allows medical staff to manage rehab, evaluate training effectiveness, monitor fatigue, set goals, and identify athletes at risk of injury. The device also collects information over multiple sessions to build athlete profiles.
Some of the top teams and universities in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US are currently using the Hamstring Solo devices. These include: European rugby champions Saracens RFC, Leicester Tigers, English premier league clubs such as West Bromwich Albion FC, a host of All-Ireland champion GAA teams, and the recent League and FAI Cup winners Cork City FC.
