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This patent-pending technology, developed in collaboration with Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP), uses a novel triangular force plate architecture to capture real-time ground reaction force data directly from the playing surface at scale.
LONDONApril 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sports technology company Feldspar Group Holdings Limited (“Feldspar”) has developed a prototype of the world’s first surface force measurement platform, which is patent-pending and capable of capturing real-time data directly from the playing surface at scale.
Smart Surfaces Empowering Future Sports Performance
The platform is designed to extend beyond track and field into a variety of sports and live event environments, setting a new standard for sports performance measurement and unlocking new insights for coaching, live broadcasting, and fan engagement.
Feldspar has launched its first external funding round to support pilot deployments and accelerate commercialization.
Bringing Force Measurement Technology to On-Field Performance Analysis
For decades, force data has been largely confined to specialized laboratories using expensive, fixed equipment. Although cameras and wearable devices dominate modern sports performance analysis, they cannot directly measure the forces that drive movement and performance.
The platform captures ground reaction forces directly from the playing surface, providing complete three-dimensional data for every step. This offers direct insights into how athletes generate speed, power, and movement.
At the core of the system is a triangular force plate with a novel architecture, introducing a new measurement method. Instead of directly measuring each force component, the system derives horizontal forces from vertical forces. This simplifies the system design, potentially reducing costs by up to ten times compared to traditional force plates, making large-scale deployment commercially viable.
By embedding the system directly into the playing surface, Feldspar enables measurement of the entire environment—rather than isolated points—while eliminating the need for repeated setup and manual operation. This allows for near-instant deployment, continuous real-time data collection, and immediate feedback through live dashboards.
For coaches, it enables continuous monitoring and instant feedback. For broadcasters, it opens up new ways to integrate real-time performance data into coverage, thereby enhancing fan engagement.
Built for Scale, Beyond Track and Field
Initial pilots will focus on track and field events, with the system deployable across the entire track to measure multiple athletes simultaneously during training and competition. The platform is scalable to a variety of sports and live environments, allowing for simultaneous tracking of up to 40 athletes on a single field, such as a football pitch.
The application is suitable for high-speed field sports like football, American football, and rugby, as well as court sports like padel, basketball, and squash. It can be deployed either permanently or temporarily, creating a new level of standardized real-time performance data for each sport.
As data scales, the system supports the construction of a unified AI-driven data platform, enabling benchmarking, injury risk detection, and predictive performance insights. These updates mark a significant step toward a fully integrated, scalable sensing platform.
This follows Feldspar’s 2025 announcement of its first functional prototype—the world’s fastest sensor-enabled track—and its partnership with 54, a global sports and entertainment agency.
Breakthrough Partnership
The system is being developed in collaboration with Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP), a leading employee-owned product development consultancy known for creating “world-first” innovations and a multidisciplinary team of over 300 engineers. CDP specializes in delivering complex, high-reliability systems across multiple sectors, including real-time performance monitoring technology such as Gmax—an advanced lightweight GPS tracking system for horse racing that provides real-time data on performance, position, and safety.
For this project, CDP has brought together expertise in physics, electronics, software, and manufacturing to transform advanced science into a robust, user-centric product, supported by its integrated pilot production center for building and testing tracks. This collaboration focuses on design for manufacturing, preparing the technology to transition from prototype to pilot stage for real-world deployment.
Raising Funds
The first external funding round aims to accelerate go-to-market activities and transition from pilot deployments to commercial rollout. Following initial support from a Hong Kong family office, this round will fund further product development, pilot projects, and early commercial activities.
Alvina Chen, Founder and CEO of Feldspar, said: “Until now, most systems have inferred movement from camera footage rather than directly measuring the forces athletes generate through the ground. With Feldspar’s world-first system embedded in the playing surface—currently a prototype—we can capture these forces in real time at the point where they are generated. This allows us to see how athletes apply force to accelerate, change direction, jump, and generate speed and power, transforming how sports performance is understood and how sporting events are experienced.”
Wade Tipton, CEO of Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP), said: “Previously, capturing data directly from the ground at scale was impossible. In close collaboration with Feldspar, our team designed, developed, built, and tested the world’s first force measurement system embedded directly into the playing surface. This marks a significant engineering advancement with the potential to transform applications in track and field and beyond.”
Tim Godfrey, Executive Director and Board Member of Feldspar, added: “This force plate system is the first step in building a scalable, multi-sport platform that captures real-time performance data directly from the playing surface at scale. It sets a new standard for measurement in sports and marks a foundational moment for Feldspar—with more announcements to come as we expand the platform and grow the business globally.”
For more information, including product visuals, visit feldsparsport.com
Images:
For high-resolution images of Feldspar’s technology, click here
Notes to Editors
The Universal Sensor Platform is built on a highly scalable architecture, with an underlying communication protocol designed to support large-scale interconnected deployments. The system captures high-frequency force data exceeding 1000 Hz, including center of pressure and three-dimensional force distribution maps, and can collect data simultaneously from up to 200 sensing platforms, each containing multiple sensors.
About Feldspar Group Holdings Limited
Feldspar is a UK-based sports technology company developing the world’s first integrated smart flooring system, starting with force measurement on high-performance tracks and across the entire track.
Founded in 2022 by former professional track and field athlete Alvina Chen, its mission is to enhance sports performance and boost fan engagement in sporting events. Its platform captures real-time data directly from the playing surface, providing new insights for athletes, coaches, and live event environments.
The Universal Sensor Platform uses a highly scalable communication protocol capable of covering an entire standard football pitch.