Human Telemetry: Tony Kay: training, working, coding

Wow - I want or as my son would say "I need". I wonder if I get employee discount? Forget the fact I am a poor and untidy programmer and more of a C person than a Java - by age not preference. However these cool, cool devices scream one thing at me above all else. Sports and performance telemetry both for training/coaching but also broadcasting etc so couch potatoes can also benefit.

So lets say you're climbing the pass on your bike and you can see your mate is struggling - time to stamp hard on the peddles and pull away. Academic for most but consider the value for the next Lance Armstrong or Tyler Hamilton and their coach. Devices like these could be used to map the physical telemetry of objects relating to acceleration etc with the human telemetry given by other devices such as heart rate monitors, power meters, cadence sensors etc and give a granularity a GPS alone cannot give.

Or we can switch sports to one of the most viewed events in the world and one where the Euro's and South Americans will be doing some of the accelerating. Formula 1 (or NASCAR for American's - though presumably its easier to track objects going round and round in ovals). Imagine the additional telemetry available both to the teams in respect to forces but also the the broadcasters who could relay G forces and other data graphically back to the viewers at home. Over here, since I live in the US now, I can imagine them loving the impact forces in American Football and displaying how much force someone generates - they seem to spend more time in technical analysis than actually playing.

What else could you do:

• Stick it in a boxing glove (no not on the front)
• Stick it in a javelin - needs to be longer and slimmer?
• A shot putt, baseball bat, golf club etc etc
• Shrink it, a golf ball, a hockey puck
• A helmet
• ...

The scope appears endless and it could be a missing link in biomechanics and sports performance. Would the telemetry be useful for comparing 2 say Mountain Bike riders through the same section, is one "smoother" and more efficient or is the direct and bumpy line superior? Or how about skiers often separated by a few 10ths of a second -can smoothness and fluidity be quantified. Perhaps in Ice skating the SunSpot will be promoted to the judging panel and be holding up the 5.9 score card.

If I was a University big on sports such as UK's Loughborough University or say University of Colorado, Boulder I'd be buying a ton of these and writing the Course Material for joint Sports Science and Computing Degree's: "Sports Telemetry 101".

Now I wonder if they'll give me one free - my bikes don't arrive from Europe for another 4 weeks, time enough to do some coding, where's my copy of The Java Programming Language - rats its in the container with the bikes... Still I could take it climbing instead, "there I was 20' out when a hold snapped, took a 60' fall..." Sorry Tony your SunSpot confirms you actually fell 27' - so don't exaggerate. Perhaps the only losers will be the climbers exaggerating back at the bar - it was 60' for sure, I know because I had time to flap my arms...

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