Referees are constantly challenged on the field and unfortunately, these challenges, if not overcome, can cost them a paycheck or even their job. How can we formalize the antiquated processes of reffing a football game into an easy to use, yet powerful tool.
Referees currently use a variety of different methods to record the timeline of a game, going as far as using a pen and paper in the age of the cellphone. The problem, therefore, is that because no mobile devices are allowed on the field, and with bluetooth technology at its current levels, referees need a quick and reliable alternative to the pen and paper method.
The client came to us with a gamechanging idea, a result of years of experience with a broken process. We took this idea, and created a foundation on which we would build the application, identifying key processes and possible barriers to entry along the way.
With the advent of Apple's Apple Watch, a host of new applications and software were released under the premise that a new age of mobile computing had come about. However, with the limited reach of these tethered devices, the processes by which we upload and download data to the watches had to be meticulously crafted to maximize connectivity and minimize the necessity of an iPhone on the field.
Create a game in-app that will set up the game on the Apple Watch.
Referee the game with the Apple Watch, using the DigiRef interface to simplify processes.
Upload game data to the phone and generate game report and analytics.
At the end of months of work, we finished the project, creating a fully functional cloud based referee application that allows the user to create games on their phone, manage them on your Apple Watch, and automatically generate game reports after the game. The application is a groundbreaking tool that prevents in-game mistakes and formalizes an antique process, bringing refereeing into the world of IoT.