Crowdsourced Tap Input System for Sports Data Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for collecting sports data, especially in fast-paced sports like MMA, are inaccurate due to passive viewer engagement and potential biases among judges, leading to inconsistent scoring and decision-making in athlete performance evaluation.
Innovation Solution
A server and mobile application system that collects tap inputs from spectators to record and analyze competition metrics, providing comparison statistics to enhance data accuracy and viewer engagement by crowdsourcing data collection, thereby making the viewing experience more interactive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If judges manually collect and score athlete performance data in fast-paced sports, then the system remains simple and easy to operate, but measurement precision and reliability deteriorate due to human bias and missed actions
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables spectators to self-serve as data collectors by tapping on their mobile devices to record competition metrics they observe during the event. This crowdsourced approach distributes the data collection task across many individuals, improving measurement precision without requiring a complex centralized system of professional judges and officials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual judgment and paper-based scoring with an electronic mobile application that automatically timestamps and transmits tap inputs to a server. This substitution eliminates human bias and reaction time variability while maintaining operational simplicity through intuitive touchscreen interaction.
2Measurement precision
If multiple judges are used to collect sports data from different vantage points, then measurement precision may improve, but device complexity and coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the data collection function across numerous independent spectators rather than relying on a coordinated team of judges. Each spectator independently records metrics from their personal viewpoint, and the server aggregates these segmented observations to achieve comprehensive and accurate measurement without requiring inter-observer coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile application serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a stopwatch, event detector, data transmission device, and verification system all in one universal platform. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate timing devices, scorebooks, and communication channels that would be required in a traditional multi-judge system.
3Productivity
If traditional manual methods are used for sports data collection, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity and data completeness deteriorate in fast-paced competitions
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic action by triggering data recording events only when specific competition metrics occur (e.g., when a strike is landed, when a round ends). This event-driven periodic approach allows spectators to maintain simple tap operations while achieving high productivity, as the system automatically captures data at critical moments without requiring continuous manual input.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile application performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the tap interface with competition-specific metrics and automatically timestamping each input with precise time data. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for manual time recording and data formatting during the event, significantly improving productivity while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile application executable on a mobile device and system for sports data collection are provided. The system and mobile application carry out a method including the step of communicating with spectators to accept tap inputs each corresponding to a competition metric achieved by a selected competitor witnessed by the spectators while viewing at least one competition. The method continues by sending the tap inputs to a server controller in communication with the mobile device associated with a user interface. The method also includes the step of receiving and displaying tap data related to an analysis of the tap inputs for scoring purposes by the server controller and at least one comparison statistic associated with each the spectators from the server controller. The at least one comparison statistic associated with the tap inputs from each of the spectators compared to the tap inputs from others of the spectators.