Voice of Users

Video Coaching System

Customer : SmileWorks

Everybody said, ”If you take a PC to a sports venue, it'll just get broken.” Our TOUGHBOOK reinforced PC proves that assumption wrong.: The people at SmileWorks are helping players improve their sporting achievement and helping teams become stronger. We provide this effective coaching through the use of digital video techniques, which we intend to extend to manufacturing and other fields in which skills are passed on.
They needed a reliable computer to run, on-site in factories and at　sports venues, equipped with the PowerAnalysis EizoJockey software that they　developed. That’s why they chose our TOUGHBOOK CF-18.

Applying information technology to develop consulting services using video

Involved as technical development team engineer for the Nippon Challenge in the year 2000 30th America's Cup event, the world's biggest yacht race, Yuzo Murata also had a career as a pro rugby player before setting up SmileWorks. Using video and information technology in sports, educational, and industrial settings, and contributing to the development of human resources, he provides e-coaching that is enthusiastically received both by participants and their trainers.

Mr. Murata, the head of SmileWorks says,
“The TOUGHBOOK CF-18 is the best for field coaching.”

Large reduction in time needed for video editing

Lots of different kinds of information can be abstracted from game video, including, player movement, game progression, and points won and lost.

In the sports world, it is not unusual for video data to be used to analyze matches and to point out ways to improve performance. Significant scenes have to be abstracted, however, from a vast amount of data. This editing involves considerable effort and many hours of work. Moreover, performance analysis has to be correlated to score, weather, and other factors. When this data is noted by hand and entered into spreadsheets, word processors or other general purpose applications, the tasks of record management become extremely complicated.
To resolve these difficulties, Mr. Murata developed and is selling his revolutionary PowerAnalysis EizoJockey software. The application links digital video, a timer showing elapsed time, and character-based entries such as score and comments, and enables the easy use of this data on a PC.

It's easy to manage the scorebook just using the pen
on the touch screen for operation and data entry

At sports events, Mr. Murata uses PowerAnalysis EizoJockey on his TOUGHBOOK CF-18. We asked him to show us how it’s done at the All-Japan Open Badminton Championships, where he was working as the technical advisor to the highly successful Sanyo Badminton Team.
First of all, a digital video camera is set up at a location with a good view of the game to be analyzed. When the camera starts recording, the PowerAnalysis EizoJockey timer starts running. After this, using the pen and on-screen keyboard, match comments, timing of serves, points, and any other useful analytical data is fully entered into application. After the game, the SD memory card on which the recording was made is inserted into the SD memory slot on the CF-18 and the video data is imported into PowerAnalysis EizoJockey. After this transfer, all the data entered via the CF-18 during the game are linked to the video. Then if, for example, you want to see a sequence starting 10 min 23 sec into the game, you adjust the PowerAnalysis EizoJockey timer to 1023, and the sequence will playback.
Mr. Murata explained the advantages of using PowerAnalysis EizoJockey for analyzing performance:　“Because the video scenes can be databased, to call up a scene, all you have to do is set the time when it was noted in the input table. Time required for video editing is considerably shortened. One rugby team that started using PowerAnalysis EizoJockey told me that the application cut their editing time by 70%. The easy linking of the scorebook and video makes it easy to play back necessary sequences. Problems and noteworthy plays can be quickly and clearly made visible.”

Capable of simultaneous playback of two video streams, PowerAnalysis EizoJockey enables visual comparison.

Using pen input with the TOUGHBOOK CF-18 it’s easy to fill out the scorebook.

As well as being tough, the touch pen input capability gets high marks

Mr. Murata is seen here scoring while talking to the team coach. After the game, they can playback sequences on the TOUGHBOOK CF-18 and swap opinions.

Mr. Murata has been using PowerAnalysis EizoJockey installed on the CF-18 since April 2006.
“I’ve been using PC at sports venues for ten years now, and up to now, three have broken. I was looking for a more robust computer and a friend pointed me in the direction of the TOUGHBOOK series.” (Mr. Murata)
Mr. Murata says that he has not had a single computer problem since he got the CF-18: “Just the one time, the computer slipped and crashed down onto a concrete floor. ‘Oh no!’ I thought. But it wasn’t broken. The assumption that if you take a PC to a sports venue, it’ll just get broken was proven wrong.”
He added, “The 180°swivel screen and the ability to use pen input is perfectly suited to operations while scoring a game performance. On top of that, the basic performance is pretty good. One of the advanced functions of PowerAnalysis EizoJockey is the ability to show two video streams side by side. Using this, it’s easy to compare the action of seasoned player with that of a novice, and to analyze form and movement. This simultaneous playback isn’t usually smooth on other notebook computers and sometimes stalls completely. On the CF-18, both streams playback smoothly. I know from experience that the basic performance is excellent.”

Hoping to extend use to manufacturing processes
where there is a great need to transfer master skills

PowerAnalysis EizoJockey scorebook. Entries can be made using an on-screen software keyboard, so one-handed operation is easy. The screen on the CF-18 swivels through 180° and folds down into a writing tablet. It’s just like using a notepad.

Mr. Murata has set up a business to market his video coaching tools in a set comprising PowerAnalysis EizoJockey, the CF-18, and a video camera.
Mr. Murata also explained, “If customers want to introduce the system, I recommend acquisition of the software and the hardware as a set. I have confirmed that this combination works well, in terms of both performance and usability. It’s tried and proven and I ask customers to use equipment that I have confidence in.” The system has already been bought by the trainer of a major baseball team.
We asked Mr. Murata about the future prospects for video coaching tools: “In the sports world, the situation is polarizing into one side that actively uses video information on PCs and one that doesn’t. Winning or losing in sports depends on various factors, and I would like to better get across the convenience of using video coaching tools. I would like to see them used for more effective coaching.” But he also has an eye turned towards applications that go beyond sports.

He added, “In craft and industrial workshops there are certain techniques, hairdressers have scissor skills, chefs prepare food in special ways… The performance of these and other skills can be analyzed. Wherever there are highly specialized techniques being transferred to the coming generation, I am sure that video coaching tools must be useful.” Rather than limiting these tools to sports, Mr. Murata proposes that digital video can also be effectively used in the industrial sector. The combination of rugged PC TOUGHBOOK CF-18 and PowerAnalysis EizoJockey is blowing a fresh breeze into various fields.

Customer: SmileWorks
Address: B1F Diamond Mansion 2-11-10 Aoyama,
Minato-ku, Tokyo Company
Homepage: http://www.smileworks.co.jp/
Contact: e-mail : info@smileworks.co.jp
Phone 03-3470-3121

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