Remote athlete monitoring with Catapult Vector

The restrictions in place as a consequence of COVID-19 are presenting significant challenges for everyone. One example is finding solutions to monitor athletes while they are training remotely. With this in mind, here is some relevant information around remote monitoring with Vector that might help you continue tracking through this difficult period. There are a few key issues to cover here:

1. Charging devices
2. Storing and downloading data
3. Recording and sharing data

Charging devices

Vector devices have 6 hours battery life, so depending on the duration of training sessions, it will generally be possible to capture 3-4 sessions before a device requires charging.

Most users will need to return devices to their Vector dock periodically to charge. Logistical considerations might dictate how frequently this can be done. You might even consider monitoring just one or two key training sessions per week, to reduce the frequency of charging required, if that's more practical for your circumstances.

You should also be aware that Catapult offers Vector single cradle chargers that can be distributed to players to enable remote charging of their individual device. If this could help you facilitate remote athlete monitoring, please reach out to your local Catapult representative to discuss this option.

Storing and downloading data

Vector devices can store up to 30 sessions, which means infrequent downloading of data should not be a limiting factor for remote athlete monitoring. At present, Vector devices must be connected to OpenField console to download - so in most cases this would be done when devices are returned to the dock periodically to charge. However, those with access to single cradles for charging might look to download less frequently and take advantage of the large storage capacity of the devices. In addition to this, development work is underway on remote data upload options to provide greater flexibility to users - we'll update here when this becomes available!

Recording and sharing data

You might want to view data more frequently than the periodic downloading from the device, in order to inform decision making in a more timely manner. This is possible using the Vector Smartphone App or Vector Smartwatch App. Your athletes can download the Vector app on their device, track their training session live via Bluetooth, and then take a screen shot to report back their key metrics. If you wish to do this, we recommend you create a new user account for your athlete(s), ensuring 'API / OpenField Console Access' is checked as an Allowed Action for the relevant Account Type.

Hopefully this information can help navigate the challenges of remote monitoring that we are currently facing. If you have any questions, suggestions or comments - please let us know!