The iPad Olympics: US Bobsled Team Aided By App

How Apple helped the US Bobsledders score

An Olympic surprise leading to an historic medal? Yes, there's an app for that.

An iPad app helped the US Bobsled team train and, eventually, medal at the Sochi Games. It's called Ubersense Coach, and it records, slo-mos, and breaks down each run to help the team improve their times down the chute.

Apps and sports have been going hand in virtual hand for a few years now. Here in Silicon Valley, the San Francisco 49ers have been using iPads on the sidelines to analyze and sketch out plays in a similar way to the Ubersense app.

Baseball, hockey, you name it. Coaches love their apps.

With Ubersense Coach, slo-mo is used to break down each run, creating videos as short as 8 seconds, and as long as a minute. Then, coaches can sketch out, frame by frame, what each sledder needs to do to improve.

MORE: Americans Make History in Ice Dancing, Bobsled

It's been so successful, Ubersense has partnered with the US Bobsled and Skeleton teams, and is being adapted by skaters as well.

It's technology that starts with a camera, adds software, and lets you go from there. It's in a small package, with a lot of power, but without a lot of expense. Perfect for the sidelines.

Scott is on Twitter: @scottbudman

Contact Us