NORT Complex
Smart Coaching System
Design lead: Laufer Ferenc
UX/UI: Anna Naszádi
Engineering: CAD Terv
Client: NORT Complex
NORT Complex is a smart training system for developing various skills in team sports
In the recent years personalized training programs have evolved like never before. The IoT boom, and the pandemic have further accelerated these processes. Team sports stand in contrast: a real digital breakthrough is yet to come. Most of the football coaches are still using the techniques they have been practicing for decades for training for children's teams: they give instructions by shouting from the sidelines.
Developed together with professional trainers, the NORT Complex brings about a significant change in coach-to-player communication, helping athletes to treain their skills.
Visual skill development
The aim of Nort Complex is to develop cognitive, psychomotor and communication skills through training, by visual signs. The system consists of a number of displays (1-8 pcs) placed around the soccer field and are operated with an easy-to-use application which is the brain of Nort Complex.
The displays are located at head level, so players' gaze stays higher instead of focusing downwards, on their feet and the ball.
The signals keep the attention of players constantly engaged and they must be focused and reactive.
This high level of presence develops skills that are useful in everyday life, but essential in a professional sports career.
Red light: stop and do kick-ups!
Driving the ball diagonally on the field, 3 passes, then shoot!
The blue team can shoot at this goal with an outside touch with the left foot
This goal is defended by the green team, the red team attacks it with 1 kick
The displays
The display’s design was shaped by radical functionality and ergonomics. It’s heavy-duty, molded casing withstands ball strikes and being knocked over. An indentation on the bottom allows it to be placed on a stand, while the blue aluminum part on the back hides two foldable hooks. With those, the box can be hung on nets and walls. The display is light and easy to carry around.
Powerful LEDs are clearly visible, even in direct sunlight and powered by long lasting batteries. Unique in the design process, the client and developer of the product tried and tested several make-shift models before, providing valuable information.
The App
The app’s design follows the utilitarian, functionality-based philosophy of the display. Simplicity, intuitive and interactive use were the cornerstones of the process, based on the developer’s experiences as a professional coach. Users have total freedom in setting up workouts and instructions and they can swiftly react and change settings, when it’s needed. Every part of the app is strictly functional. For example, the background is white, because it allows the best visibility in any lighting.
Product Development
Nort Complex’s development was based on years of experience and answers to long overdue needs of coaches and players.
The system was created in close collaboration with football coaches, psychologists, engineers and designers. The software and hardware components have passed hundreds of hours of tests, and since the fall of 2021 they have been regularly used during football training. The NORT COMPLEX system is currently in small series, pre-series production, with continuous improvements.
