Our team is uniquely placed to help drive the adoption of quality technology in sport. We are known for our:

  • Relevant expertise in product testing, engineering and sport science,

  • Established track record, consisting of leadership, staff and consultants with interdisciplinary scientific training and backgrounds

  • Access to leading equipment and laboratory spaces required to undertake testing

  • Widespread existing connections throughout all facets of sport across the globe

Meet the Team

Sam Robertson, PhD

CO-DIRECTOR

  • Sam Robertson is a researcher and consultant focusing on developing methods and systems to optimise integrations between humans and technology. He specialises in collaborative projects that connect sporting teams, technology companies, governing bodies and universities to generate mutual and broad benefit for a range of stakeholders.

    Sam’s work and research has spanned topics such as sports innovation, skill acquisition, sports analytics, organisational decision-making, and technology strategy.

    Sam is currently the Director of TCG Advisory, a consulting firm specialising in optimising human-technology (AI) integration. He also holds professorships at the University of Queensland and Victoria University in Australia.

Jess Zendler, PhD

CO-DIRECTOR

  • Jess Zendler is a researcher and consultant focused on helping organisations better leverage science and data to inform complex decisions around sport technology, human performance, and human health. Her work includes sport technology validation and testing, establishment of quality assessment and research programmes, and research at the intersection of sports technology, athlete health, and athlete performance.

    Her work and research cover topics ranging from performance and wearable technology evaluation and use in decision-making; athlete health and injury monitoring; sports and injury biomechanics; and the interaction of athletes with sports technology, footwear, equipment, and playing surfaces.

    Jess is the director of the Sports Science practice of Rimkus, an international engineering and scientific consultant firm. She also holds an adjunct appointment in the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology, where she previously directed the Michigan Performance Research Laboratory.

Jade Haycraft, PhD

OPERATIONS LEAD

  • Jade Haycraft is a sport scientist and research operations specialist with extensive experience delivering complex international projects in the global sports technology sector. She leads end-to-end operations across multi-site testing, stakeholder engagement, logistics, and reporting.

    Jade’s research background includes talent identification, strength and conditioning, and biomechanics. She also supervises PhD and Masters students in industry-embedded sport performance projects with Victoria University and industry partners.

    She currently leads operational efforts in evaluating sports technologies, contributing to the development of international standards for tracking and monitoring systems, and supporting the validation and implementation of emerging technologies in elite sport.

  • Dr. Rachel Hybart is a biomedical engineer and human performance specialist with deep expertise in human gait, biomechanics, and human-robot interaction. She leads research and testing efforts at the Rimkus Human Performance Laboratory, where she oversees advanced biomechanical evaluations in both controlled and real-world environments.

    She is highly experienced in the use of motion capture, electromyography (EMG), force plates, pressure insoles, and metabolic gas exchange systems to assess human movement. Her work supports the development and validation of technologies aimed at enhancing human performance in ecologically valid settings.

    Rachel is a consultant in the Sports Science practice of Rimkus and manages the Rimkus Human Performance Laboratory.

Rachel Hybart, PhD

PROJECT ENGINEER

  • Associate Professor Grant Duthie is a leading researcher in the validation and application of sports technology, with a particular focus on player tracking systems and markerless motion capture. He has worked at the elite level in a number of sports, most notably in rugby, rugby league and football.

    Through a partnership with Australian Catholic University (ACU), Grant works as a data analyst as part of the ISTS team.

    At ACU, Grant also coordinates the Graduate Certificate in Sports Analytics and postgraduate units in data analysis, interpretation, and visualisation. He also supervises multiple PhD projects focused on applied technology in sport, many conducted in partnership with professional teams and tech developers.

Grant Duthie, PhD

DATA ANALYST

Bart Spencer, PhD

DATA SCIENTIST

  • Bart Spencer is a performance data scientist and researcher who works with a broad range of sporting organisations globally, including professional teams and governing bodies. His work focuses on applying analytics to better understand and enhance player performance and movement behaviour in elite sport environments.

     

    Bart's research interests lie in sports analytics and applied sport science, with an emphasis on athlete tracking. He supervises several PhD and Masters students at Victoria University, with projects primarily focused on developing and validating methods to analyse performance in team sport environments.

Lena Kober

SPORTS SCIENTIST

  • Lena’s research interest lies in decision-making in sports, particularly football and refereeing, with a focus on enhancing refereeing performance and improving the overall sports experience. Through her work with ISTS, she aims to contribute to the development of sports technology and innovation, with the goal of making a positive impact on the sports industry.

     With a background in sports science, Lena works across a range of technology testing events and sports, working alongside experts to evaluate and validate new technologies and products.

    Currently, Lena is undertaking an industry-embedded PhD at Victoria University in Melbourne, where she is aiming to advance the understanding of decision-making in football and refereeing.

Wade De La Haye

SPORTS SCIENTIST

  • Wade De La Haye is a sports scientist with a background in sport technology operations and interests in the advancement of technology applications within elite sport. Gaining experience across a range of testing events and sporting codes, working alongside leading experts to validate and deliver ball and player tracking technology.

    Currently Wade is undertaking a Masters by Research, focusing on evaluating and validating wearable sports technology derived gait metrics during team-sport match-play.