2021 innovator award

SPORTS LABS

Over the past 18 months, Sports Labs have developed a compact and wireless impact attenuation device, ultimately combining three industry-standard impact devices in one single drop device. The Sports Labs ‘Field Marshall’ has been designed, engineered and tested alongside the well-recognized Advanced Artificial Athlete (AAA), Clegg Hammer and GMax devices, with the objective of producing an output of all five parameters from one device drop.

Weighing in at 14.2kg, the Field Marshall is capable of measuring Force Reduction (%), Deformation (mm), Energy Restitution (%), Impact values (IV) and GMax (G) results from a surface, thus offering an opportunity to replace the bulkier AAA (29kg), Clegg Hammer (4.6kg) and the GMax (14.2kg) devices. With an overall weight of under 15kg, the device also opens the option for one-man testing, reducing from two technicians currently required to maneuver the AAA.

The device electronics are fully integrated, removing the requirement for any wires. During operation, an Android phone or device wirelessly controls the release of the magnet, allowing the mass to fall freely and impact the surface. The board within the Field Marshall subsequently acquires the drop data from a centralized accelerometer, before wirelessly transmitting the data to the Android device, providing results in a purpose-built app within seconds.

The Field Marshall’s smaller envelope in comparison to its predecessors not only means it’s easier to carry from location to location around a field, it also fits neatly in a custom-built flight case offering ease of transport to different venues, whatever method of travel, making this the ultimate tool for groundsmen, consultants or technicians to help monitor surface performance.

During the testing phase, over 50 surfaces varying in type and hardness were tested using the Field Marshall alongside the three comparison devices, with strong correlations identified across the ranges. Over one thousand drops of each device have been recorded and compared in order to verify the Field Marshall’s output.