Build log
The real story behind the device — where it is, what broke along the way, and where it’s headed.
Where Swimnetics is now — and what's coming
A quick honest snapshot: what's actually built today, the feedback that's shaping the next move, and an idea for the future I'm a little too excited about.
Signal processingTeaching the software to see a stroke
Breaststroke was easy to break into clean cycles. Every other stroke fought me. The thing that finally worked also handed me something I wasn't even looking for.
MechatronicsThe string that wouldn't come back
After the fishing-reel disaster, I needed a real way to retract 26 yards of tether. I wanted an elegant mechanical solution. I ended up learning to solder, frying my assumptions, and being saved by a one-dollar bearing.
Field testingLaughed off the deck — and why it was the best thing that happened
I landed a demo at a real swim program in four days, scrambled to get ready, and watched almost everything that could break, break. It was humbling. It was also the clearest feedback I've ever gotten.
HardwareCutting the cord: making the device stand on its own
The first real version of Swimnetics needed a laptop plugged into it at the edge of the pool. Getting rid of that meant going battery-powered — and learning the hard way which batteries are safe to hand a coach.