Find out how we created a unique approach to the way players interact with the game of basketball.
Huupe is a smart basketball hoop designed to revolutionize how players train and engage with the sport, blending technology with real-time feedback. With an attached digital screen behind the hoop and a camera equipped with a LiDAR system above, the Huupe transcends a simple basketball toy — it’s a smart hoop for smart play. Huupe aimed to develop a three-part system: a smart basketball hoop, a portable version, and a companion app that allows users to practice their shots, compete with players globally, and stream content while training on the court. That is, Huupe essentially set out to bring the ‘Peloton treatment’ to basketball.
Huupe approached us with a working hardware prototype, but they needed a software application to fully bring their vision to life. While the hoop’s physical design was impressive, the software was underdeveloped and required significant improvements to achieve the desired functionality and stability. Also, the interaction system was initially quite simple, based on the keyboard and the mouse, and the fact that the team of Huupe did not like the basic input/output operation.
The first thing that we did was to assist in the development of a demonstrative model of the Huupe to be used during the NBA events. For the demo, we designed the experience to allow potential investors and users to interact with the system and enjoy the hoop’s unique features firsthand.
Working with stakeholders of Huupe we designed and created a demo that would be simple enough to be run with a small event crew at a booth. This was aimed at developing a flow from a mobile device to the Huupe and back with a sign-up feature and possible shooting challenge.
We created a kiosk-like environment where participants could check in using a tablet or smartphone. Participants would sign up, try the shooting game, and then immediately see their results on the display installed in the Huupe. The next participant could register at the moment when the current play was solving the task – This ensured a seamless, continuous experience for participants, keeping the engagement flowing smoothly. This is how a local ranking was added to the phone and Huupe’s screen, and people were able to remain engaged and stimulate healthy competition throughout the game.
One of the main problems was being able to make sure that the players could easily see when the ball was donated as a make or a miss. To resolve this issue, we added a high-contrast background with bright green and red flashing indicators in the target zone on the backboard. In addition, clear images were used to display the shot arc pointing out if the shot was too low.
From the success of the demo, we proceeded to think about how the complete application could look as our gurus addressed certain technological challenges.
To complement the Huupe experience, The mobile app needed to function as an intuitive remote control for the hoop, allowing seamless interaction between players and the device. This needed to incorporate the use of Bluetooth to control how devices can be connected and set, in addition to providing users a remote-like feel. To solve the connection of the hoop to the Wi-Fi we created a device setup flow where the system used Bluetooth for the hoop to connect to Wi-Fi to allow players to register and like their app to the Huupe.
BLE was very important to make wireless control without having to use a keyboard and mouse. BLE enabled management of power consumption and effectiveness in terms of range making communication between the mobile app and Huupe smooth. With this integration, players could connect the app to the Huupe via Bluetooth, select training sessions, start games, adjust volume levels, and upload their results to track progress and compare high scores.
Our collaboration with Huupe has been one of our most successful projects. The use of the mobile app with the Huupe made demonstrations during the NBA matches and other events possible, therefore attracting crowds and interest. Since the product started being marketed it began to attract investment from personalities in and around the NBA hence cementing its place in the market.
Huupe also appeared in the famous shark tank, which is just another testament to the value of the product. After the first positive reactions to the pre-orders, early customers noted that the product is easy to handle and proposed new selling points that make Huupe more advantageous than other existing basketball training tools.
Through our collaboration with Huupe, we successfully transformed their prototype into a market-ready product with the potential to revolutionize basketball both locally and globally. Huuppe is winning the hearts of athletes and basketball lovers and the future seems very rosy for the product.
