Prototypes for Sports | Sportech Products

The sports prototypes industry has grown exponentially in recent years. Sports is one of the most relevant industries in the use of innovative inventions, aimed at improving sports performance, controlling processes, strengthening the relationship between athletes and fans, enhancing sports events, perfecting sports fields, sports equipment, among other areas within the sports world that have been the perfect setting for sportech solutions.

New technologies and sports prototypes have revolutionized the sports sector 360º. The development of Sportech companies has placed sports at the forefront of innovation: IoT solutions, electronic advancements, and artificial intelligence itself have created a favorable environment to create inventions and products that do not exist but could be very useful in the sports industry.

Sportech Detinition

The term Sportech refers to the use of technologies in the world of sports. Sportech startups have generated a true technological revolution in various verticals of the sports industry. The creation of wearable prototypes for tracking and monitoring sports activity, data analysis models to identify and evaluate movements, virtual reality useful in training processes, transmission and visualization technologies in sports event settings, are some of the main pillars of Sportech in the world.

Manufacturers of sports prototypes.

There are 5 types of companies that can manufacture sports prototypes, regardless of the objectives:

• Sports Brands: Sports brands are a technological partner for the design and development of sports prototypes. The key function of a sports brand is to maintain its prestige and distinction in the market. For this reason, they usually participate in the development and creation of innovative inventions for sports. Typically, sports brands participate in the prototype creation process for sports as financial partners or investors. Some sports brands engage in the development of sports inventions, especially those related to improvements that impact the connections between fans and recognized sports teams.
• Sports Clubs: The goal of sports clubs is to win every competition, sign the best players, and consequently attract the best sponsors. Considering these objectives, sports clubs often invest in or directly participate in the development of inventions that significantly improve training systems and performance measurement. To differentiate themselves and gain an edge over their competitors, sports clubs can participate as partners, financial investors, and even testers in the design and development of sports prototypes. Sports clubs and brands typically do not have engineering teams or the expertise to be involved in the development of useful sports inventions. Therefore, it is beneficial to involve them in financing the creation of sports inventions.
• Sportech Companies: Sportech companies are organizations dedicated to the creation of useful technological inventions for sports. Most Sportech companies are composed of young profiles with special talent in engineering areas. The main limitations of Sportech companies as technological partners for creating innovative products for sports are usually related to their lack of knowledge about sports practice. Additionally, Sportech startups typically emerge to create their own sports invention, so their goal, besides developing the sports prototype, is to test the invention as soon as possible and commercialize it in the market. While Sportech companies can assist in the development of innovative products for sports, it is important to know that your idea or invention will never be their priority, and you will need an expert in sports practice as part of the team to maintain the balance of "technology - innovation - practical utility".
• Manufacturers of Sports Equipment: Manufacturers of sports equipment or tools are a good partner for the design and manufacturing of sports prototypes. The main advantage of working with an experienced manufacturer is their knowledge of the sector and the industrial vision necessary for the future of the innovative sports product. However, the disadvantages of relying on manufacturers of sports equipment are:

Manufacturers of sports equipment usually have their own product portfolio; therefore, their priority is to maximize the sales of their instruments or improve their production costs.

1. Manufacturers of sports equipment will not look for the best way to manufacture your idea or sports prototype; instead, they will adapt your idea to be compatible with their industrial machines.
2. The large scale of sports equipment manufacturers is very tempting for inventors with ideas that can revolutionize the world of sports. However, this same scale makes them an unsuitable structure for generating agile innovation cycles that allow reaching the best version of a sports prototype.

Invention Factories or Design and Prototyping Companies: Product design laboratories and prototype manufacturing companies serve multiple industries without specializing in any particular one. For example, at Let's Prototype, we concentrate on areas such as: Mathematics research and neural network training, electronics, design, telecommunications, textile design, and prototype manufacturing. With these disciplines, we create innovative inventions for sports, always starting from the ideas that inventors need to materialize. Manufacturing a sports prototype with an invention manufacturing company has the disadvantage of lacking specific sector knowledge; however, the advantages include:

• Multidisciplinary engineering capability to solve various challenges.
• Technological vision from other sectors, from which applicable conclusions to sports could be drawn.
• Experience in prototype development from different areas as well as a comprehensive view of the product creation cycle.

Types of sports prototypes. Sportech specialists.

Creation of wearable prototypes for sports: Monitoring athletes during training or a match is a turning point for planning individualized and objective training. This precise data analysis of athletes' behavior is achieved through wearable prototypes for sports, which operate independently, feeding data to a server, or in combination with sensors that are part of sports facilities. Together, they provide enough statistics and data to delve into the analysis and diagnosis of sports performance evolution.

Sportech prototypes with mathematical models and big data: The evolution of the wearable prototypes for sports, the emergence of advanced observation elements, as well as modern sensors and telecommunications networks capable of interconnecting all these data capture prototypes, are the perfect ingredients to develop trend analysis y entrenar redes neuronalesSportech prototypes with mathematical models and big data: The evolution of wearable prototypes for sports, the emergence of advanced observation elements, as well as modern sensors and telecommunications networks capable of interconnecting all these data capture prototypes, are the perfect ingredients to develop trend analysis and train neural networks, making it possible to conduct much deeper analyses and even predict athletes' behavior based on such trends.

Prototypes with Virtual Reality and Prototypes with Augmented Reality: The evolution of virtual and augmented reality has become the foundation for the development of many prototypes in the health and sports sectors. In the case of virtual reality prototypes for sports, they are usually machines that allow the athlete, through an immersive experience, to maximize their training performance. Similarly, augmented reality prototypes for sports have marked a substantial evolution in how users or fans share sports events.

Prototypes for sports stadiums: The inclusion of technological inventions for sports stadiums has had an impact on the analysis of athletes as well as on the experience and atmosphere of sports events. Numerous sports prototypes are intended to be installed in sports fields without affecting the usage of the facilities. The integration of these innovative prototypes allows for maximizing the information extracted from a sports event, bringing the event experience closer to fans, and improving refereeing decisions on the field.

Steps to create a sports prototype. Sportech

• Research on the problem to be solved

• Technical feasibility study of the invention

• Design and manufacture of the prototype

• Testing and interaction trials with the functional prototype.

• Pre-series manufacturing

• Commercial and technical tests

• Adjustments to the prototype

• Preparation for mass production.

Famous inventions and patents for sports.

Invention to detect goals in soccer: The first Hawk-Eye and GoalControl sports prototypes have been among the most famous inventions for soccer in recent years. Through a system of high-precision cameras and sensors, it can accurately determine whether the ball has entered the goal. This sports prototype allows for much fairer decisions.

Smart Sportswear: There are several smart fabric prototypes as well as sportswear prototypes that include sensors allowing sports shirts to measure the athlete's performance and physical condition in real-time. Under Armour and Nike are usually the most innovative brands in innovative sportswear.

Sports Footwear Prototypes: The Nike Flyknit and Adidas Boost shoes have embraced innovative materials for sports. They provide better cushioning and performance for athletes on the field. At Let's Prototype, we also have a textile inventions laboratory for sports.

Smartwatch and Smart Bracelet Prototypes: At Let's Prototype, we have worked on the development of wearable prototypes for sports. The democratization of electronic sensors has enabled the creation of innovative prototypes that allow much more effective monitoring of sports performance.

Prototypes for Cycling: Companies like Cervélo and Specialized have positioned themselves as leaders in creating inventions for sports, especially for cycling. The use of innovative materials as well as disruptive, ergonomic, and aerodynamic designs allow taking cycling speed to another level.

Virtual Reality Prototypes: The development of virtual reality and augmented reality has enabled the creation of sports prototypes aimed at training and rehabilitating athletes, addressing their specific needs. At Let's Prototype, we have developed examples of prototypes for the rehabilitation of stroke patients using augmented reality. The Neurtobia medical prototype example has represented a significant advancement in this industry.

Prototypes with Mathematical Models and Big Data for Sports: The development of platforms like Microsoft Sports Performance and other similar initiatives have represented a significant step for the data analysis industry and neural network training. In our invention factory, we have achieved an efficient combination of advancements in electronic sensors with neural network training, resulting in wearable prototypes for sports that include mathematical models useful for improving athlete training.

IoT Technology for Sports

IoT technology refers to the ability of hardware devices to send information to the cloud. For a device to be IoT, there must be a physical element and electronic sensors capable of capturing information from the environment and sending it through a telecommunications network to a server or cloud. From there, product development professionals take the data and manage it intuitively so that users can evaluate the usefulness of the IoT element.

The control of machinery in the industry, merchandise in logistics processes, crop extensions, as well as the real-time monitoring of any type of space, have greatly benefited from the evolution of IoT technologies.

The sports sector has not been excluded from the impact that IoT prototypes have had in the world of innovation. IoT devices have clearly impacted the improvement of training methods for multiple sports, score control, enhancement of athletes' performance through data analysis, as well as optimizing resources for the maintenance of sports fields.

Examples of innovative inventions for sports. 

In our invention factory, sports have been a focus of innovation for our inventor clients, as well as Sportech companies for whom we design technological products. Among them:

Prototypes for Golf (Greenkeeper): One of the main costs of maintaining a golf course is driven by the high maintenance costs of the areas. As such, the needs of Greenkeepers have become a focus of innovation for many Sportech companies specializing in golf. In our product development company, we design agroclimatic stations capable of capturing data from the field and sending it to the cloud in real-time. These IoT prototypes for golf have allowed several courses to optimize the water resources dedicated to maintaining their grass, while the professionals in charge can accurately monitor 100% of the areas that make up the golf courses without having to travel.

Prototypes for Baseball (Batting Tee): The batting tee is a mechanical element useful for training baseball batters. The precision of the swing in different locations of the strike zone requires intensive training and customization of positions. For this reason, we have designed and developed a patented invention in the United States that aims to minimize the effort of athletes and coaches.

Prototypes for Padel (Wearable): Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Our innovative sports product development team has created a wearable device with an integrated neural network capable of identifying multiple movements and conditions of padel players during their training and matches. The smartwatch for padel aims to be one of the most revolutionary sports prototypes of this year.

Prototypes for Hiking (IoT): Mountain hikers often suffer accidents and get lost, which can put the athletes' safety and health at risk. For this reason, in our product design agency, we have developed an IoT device for sports, promoted by a young Sportech company, capable of transmitting the athletes' position in real-time, as well as identifying accidental falls and communicating them to the athlete's emergency contacts.

Prototypes for Soccer (Smart Goalkeeper): At our product design agency in Spain, we developed a smart goalkeeper capable of performing movements that present different levels of complexity for soccer players training their shots on goal. It is an electromechanical system with a group of sensors that allow the prototype to dynamically learn from the athlete's behavior.

Prototypes for All Sports (Graffos): The Sportech company from the Canary Islands, Graffos, is one of the most innovative proposals for the world of sports in recent years. Unlike most Sportech projects, it does not aim to improve sportswear, monitor the athlete's health during training, or improve the maintenance methods of sports fields. Graffos Technology features a neural network powered by data captured from a digital airbrush and the screen of a commercial tablet. The data that can be captured from graphology exercises allows Graffos Sportech, with its innovative algorithm, to determine the athlete's mental state based on the most relevant mental capacities in high-performance athletes.

Prototypes for Professional Soccer (Corner Post): Development of a sports prototype that integrates custom mechanical systems into a conventional corner post on the soccer field to stabilize high-precision cameras, maximizing the quality and detail level of television broadcasts.

Frequently Asked Questions from Sports Invention Creators

What inventions can be created for sports?

There are still many inventions that can be created to improve sports. It is true that there are many Sportech companies developing sports inventions, but for the most part, they focus on very popular sports or new sports that are growing internationally, such as padel. If we analyze some less popular sports, there are surely many inventions, based on existing technologies, that can be adapted to meet the needs of these disciplines.

How much does it cost to manufacture a sports prototype?

The cost of manufacturing a sports prototype can vary depending on its technical complexity. Before manufacturing a new sports invention, it is important to complete the research and industrial design. The engineering process to create a sports invention has a direct impact on reducing the costs of manufacturing the sports prototype. The engineering required to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a new sports invention can cost approximately 15,000 to 20,000 USD.

How long does it take to develop a new sports invention?

The development of a new sports invention can take between 3 and 6 months. It is true that some complex sports inventions require extensive research processes over time. The training of neural networks and mathematical models require a data collection cycle that could substantially increase the time needed for creating a sports prototype.

Who can design a sports invention?

Sportech companies are the first option for developing technological inventions for sports. However, these startups for creating sports products often focus on the design and development of their own products. Therefore, Sportech companies do not develop inventions or ideas from third parties.

To create a sports invention or manufacture a sports prototype, you can rely on product design agencies and invention factories like our team. In our sports invention laboratory, we have manufactured more than a dozen innovative products that have revolutionized various sports disciplines.