A second generation device that enables the transfer of data captured on boats during training sessions was a key tool for Yachting NZ’s coaches and sailors in the lead up to their successful Paris 2024 campaign.
The Roverseas was developed to enable coaches and sailors to transfer data from different training locations, both domestically and overseas.
Development of a unique hard case, complete with PC and wifi unit, and connected to Rovers (boat GPS units) brought together the expertise of HPSNZ’s Goldmine Innovation team and Performance & Technique Analyst (PTA), Alex Anastasiou.
Goldmine Innovation’s mechanical, software and hardware engineers provided the tool which enabled Alex to do additional analysis from New Zealand. He was able to feed back information to the on-the-ground Yachting NZ team that was usable across multiple squads and was not constrained by geography.
The Roverseas has sped up the pairing of data with the coach boat and removed the need for many manual processes.
HPSNZ Goldmine software engineer on the project, Steve Brydon, says that having a system for Yachting NZ coaches and sailors to use that ‘just worked’ was a priority for the Roverseas project.
“Roverseas uses an application we developed to transfer the data captured on the boats during training sessions into the Yachting NZ analytics system used by coaches and sailors, providing details of the on-water performance,” says Steve.
Steve’s role was to adapt the existing app to be suitable to run on the small PC included in the Roverseas case. “It needed to be able to run unattended and with the expectation of no monitor being connected providing visual feedback on the data transfer process.”
“Now a sailor can simply bring their Rover tracking device and captured weather data ashore, plug the devices into the Roverseas case and expect their sailing data to be available in the Yachting NZ analytics system within minutes,” says Steve.
A feature of the innovation was the physical elements of the project, from the fixings through to the overall enclosure. Goldmine mechanical engineer Bex Cider says her role in the mechanical part of the Roverseas project was fun.
“We needed to package the unit in a rugged case that could travel as carry-on luggage,” says Bex. “It was like a game of Jenga getting our components to fit. It was important the six Rovers were housed in a way that was both secure and easy for Alex or the coaches and sailors to charge and download the data from the GPS devices.
“We made a great aesthetic and functional leap between the first to the second generation units in housing the Rovers themselves. The improvements we made prioritised the experience of the people using the devices and strengthen the perception of their value, increasing their effectiveness and utilisation.”
The third tranche of the project was hardware engineering. HPSNZ lead hardware engineer, Iain Henderson, says that his involvement was a great learning experience.
“It taught me a lot about both the products we develop and the emphasis we put on the user experience for the coaches and our PTAs like Alex.
“What has been developed is a fully-fledged product as opposed to an in-house training tool. I am extremely proud of the Goldmine Innovation team for their vision, collaboration and execution, and I feel they have paved the way for similar approaches in all sports,” says Iain.
