possible to all screens in the boat. The IntelliGate® then keeps enough samples to allow us to draw a series of smooth curves, including force, blade height and sweep angle. At the end of the stroke these graphs are then broadcast to our displays. Force: There are lots of ways to
measure force. The simplest is on the pin, and in our first prototype that’s exactly what we did. We had a force curve, but it quickly became apparent that we were also measuring the weight of the oar. Every force curve we drew had a dip at the catch as the weight of the oar came off the lower rest of the oarlock. Measuring force of the pin there was no way to accurately separate the horizontal and vertical forces, so we made the difficult decision to design our own oarlock from the ground up as an instrumented oarlock. The second issue we faced is that there
is considerable vertical movement of the oar on the faceplate during the stroke. Our early force plates had a single strain gauge, but accuracy was compromised, so we redesigned and now run multiple strain gauges behind the force plate, so regardless of the movement of the oar we record an accurate force measurement. Height: Our IntelliGate® contains a unique height detection device enabling us to track the vertical motion of the oar through the stroke and as it enters and exits the water. Combined with the force measurement we can identify if the power is dropping off at the end of the stroke because the rower is backing off, or because the oar is being extracted from the water early. Sweep Angle: By oversampling we
can accurately calculate seven key sweep angles such as the reach, catch and peak power angle. Sweep velocity through the recovery gives a clear indication of slide control. Comparing the sweep velocity throughout the stroke to the hull velocity, Oar Inspired will have the ability to graph cavitation of the blade in the water. Consider cavitation as traction control for rowing, providing positive feedback to assist the rower to achieve the longest, most powerful stroke without wasting energy or compromising stroke length. Pitch Adjustment: Pitch is important,
so rather than remove this adjustment we made it better. We will launch our product with three options: a pitch insert similar to that in use today; an adjustable
pitch that will let you lean out and with the turn of a screw driver increase or decrease the pitch; and the final option is a fully variable pitch adjustment that lets you set the pitch independently at the catch, drive and exit phase of the stroke. Hull sensor: Incorporating the
latest multi-axes accelerometers, a digital gyrometer, a 10Hz GPS receiver, combined with a pick-up that is compatible with most impellors, we think we have the best option for tracking not only boat speed but also the movement of the hull. If the boat is rocking to bowside at the catch, with our analytics package you will be able to understand why (or who). Footplates: Complementing the
measurement side of our solution are our footplates. At 9mm thick they will easily fit under any rowing shoe. Multipoint force sensors ensure accurate force measurement regardless of shoe size, with analytic options to better understand the effects of pronation and supination. RowCom Displays: Waiting till you
are off the water to get feedback on what you have or haven’t been doing is wasting valuable training time. Worse still, you have built muscle memory of inefficient technique that is often hard to fix. Our displays with their sunlight- readable colour screens give immediate feedback after every stroke, giving you time during the recovery to think about what you are going to do differently, reinforcing good technique and helping to maximize boat speed. The RowCom displays are built on
the latest IPv6 internet technology, so the crew, coxswain and coach are all receiving the same data. The network also allows the coach to communicate back to the crew, ensuring instructions are clearly heard, with the coach also able to listen live to the coxswain to ensure training drills are correctly implemented.
Instrumented Foot Plate IntelliGate
RowCom Display
Smart base
www.OarInspired.com.au www.facebook.com/ OarInspired Twitter: @OarInspired
ROW360 // Issue 001 59
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