Mar 18, 2015Athletic Trainer and Inventor
Looking for a more efficient way to monitor her student-athletes’ hydration, East Carolina University Athletic Trainer Sharon Rogers came up with an idea to save time during weigh-ins. Her invention is called Sportscale.
The Reflector.com describes the patented prototype as being “a kiosk-like device that combines a typical scale footplate with a computerized data retrieval system and fingerprint identifier.” The athletes will enter fingerprint identification so their measurements can be recorded and stored. Then, athletic trainers will be able to view password-protected information about each athlete, including date of practice, time of practice, and weigh in and weigh out.
Rogers thought of it during a busy day in the athletic training room when she was struggling to simultaneously tape ankles and record weights. She realized that if she did not have to monitor the weigh-in process, her time would be freed up greatly.
“If this device can get integrated into the mainstream, it will positively affect the health and safety of athletes because the weight collection process will be easier, quicker and reliable,” Rogers said. “I can generate a report from the data that compares the before and after weights. It will tell you who exceeds 3 percent just like that.”
