Being a top athlete in this modern age is a full-time job. No longer do athletes simply practice at their nominated sport of choice. They undergo strength training, full nutritional programs, cardio, and even reflex training.
Reflex training involves a series of nodes that an athlete must identify when lit up, and touch them to switch them off. By triggering them in a fast sequence, the athlete must work hard to both identify the lit node and then move to switch it off. TrainerLights is just such a system, built around the NodeMCU platform.
The system consists of a minimum of four lights – one acting as a server, the others as nodes. The lights each contain a nodeMCU board which communicates over WiFi, while the server has an additional board – acting as a WiFi hotspot that controls the system.
With the lights switched on, the coach connects to the server with a smartphone, and configures the lighting sequence and timings depending on the desired excercise regime. The server then communicates with the lighting nodes, which light their LEDs at specified intervals. The athlete must clear the lights by swiping at the nodes, which detect the athlete’s hand via an ultrasonic proximity sensor. The sensitivity is configurable, to allow the system to trigger from a distant wave or a direct touch from the athlete. This allows a variety of training uses, from tennis to taekwondo.
With a 3D printed case and parts readily available from any good maker supplier, it’s a project you could tackle in a weekend to add to your own training regime.
We see plenty of athletic hacks in these parts – like this line-following robot for training sprinters. Video after the break.
[Thanks to Baldpower for the tip!]
