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Portable Basketball Coach – Smart Wearable Design

This project provides a low-cost shooting training solution for beginner basketball players. User experience was tracked and analyzed during use, and the smart wearable device was developed through embedded system design.

View Prototype Video（Youtube）

Project Overview

Goal：

  • Investigated the skill needs of beginner basketball players.
  • Collaborated with professional basketball athletes to support the development process.
  • Independently designed and built the device.

Roles:

  • User Experience Research:
    Conducted longitudinal studies on target users to understand real-world usage experiences and analyzed the collected data.

  • Product Design:
    Identified user needs, developed product concepts, and planned the design and manufacturing workflow.

  • Embedded System Design:
    Handled everything from circuit design to software development, including debugging and optimizing the smart device.

    User Study

    Research Questions:

    • Do you feel helpless when your solo basketball shooting practice shows no improvement?

    • Do you feel that your shooting form is not standard enough, resulting in a low shooting percentage?

    • Do you feel the need for an assistive device to improve your shooting performance?

    Subjects:

    5 participants, including four males and one female from gyms in the Boulder, Colorado area. All participants were beginner-level basketball players.

    Method:
    User information was collected through short interviews, each lasting approximately five minutes.

     

    Professional Support

    Matt Hower

    Assistant Coach, the University of Colorado Boulder Women’s Basketball Team

    Interview Format:
    30-minute semi-structured interview

    Objective:
    To gather expert insights on fundamental basketball shooting techniques and training methods for beginners.

    Q1: What are the most important factors in shooting a basketball?
    The coach emphasized the importance of proper body alignment: the shoulder, elbow, and wrist should form a near right angle. Players should maintain eye contact with the rim, slightly bend their knees, lower their center of gravity, and step one foot slightly forward for balance. For shooting, a release angle of around 45 degrees is recommended, along with mastery over arm motion and shooting force to ensure accuracy.

    Q2: How can shooting consistency be maintained?
    According to the coach, correct shooting posture and release mechanics are essential to building both accuracy and stability. Professional athletes maintain consistency through high-volume, repetitive practice, reinforcing muscle memory. For beginners, the coach recommended standardized form training from the outset, emphasizing that building good habits early on is critical for long-term improvement.

    Product Design

    Design Concept

    • Integrate smart wearable technology with everyday basketball training
      The device is designed to seamlessly support beginners during regular shooting practice sessions.

    • Lightweight and independently powered
      A compact, battery-powered design ensures portability and ease of use without external dependencies.

    • Simplified component structure to reduce failure rates
      The internal architecture is intentionally minimal to enhance durability and minimize potential hardware issues.

    • Real-time data transmission and feedback
      The device collects and transmits performance data in real time, providing users with actionable insights through interactive feedback and analysis.

    Design Highlights

    • Component integration into a basketball shooting sleeve
      The wearable system is embedded within a basketball arm sleeve, ensuring comfort and natural movement during training.

    • Posture detection using MEMS and IMU sensors
      A combination of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) is used to detect and analyze shooting form.

    • Data processing via Arduino microcontroller
      An Arduino development board is employed for data collection, computation, and real-time analysis of shooting mechanics.

    • Real-time feedback through vibration motor
      A vibration motor provides immediate haptic feedback to guide users during training and correct improper shooting techniques.

    Embedded System

    Design Details

    I2C Communication Protocol:

    • Saves GPIO pins and offers fast data transmission.

    6-Axis Gyroscope:

    • Utilizes the built-in DMP (Digital Motion Processor) library of the six-axis gyroscope to calculate Euler angles. By comparing the relative angles from three sensors, the system determines whether the user has entered a shooting posture. Once a shooting posture is detected, the system evaluates whether it meets the defined standard.

    Vibration Motor:

    • Provides real-time haptic feedback to prompt users to adjust their shooting posture.

    User Testing

    Iteration Plan

    Appearance:

    • Optimized components for better comfort and wearability during training sessions.

    Hardware:

    • Reduced the number of gyroscopes by switching to more highly integrated sensors, allowing for the collection of more detailed user training data.

    Software：

    • Introduced more rigorous detection conditions to provide users with enhanced motion assistance features.

    The image is created by Midjourney