The NOVA app, developed in cooperation with RLE INTERNATIONAL, is an important component in the resumption of sports operations
Water polo player Tobias Preuss already knows the procedure. Every few days, the national player and DSV athlete spokesman from Waspo 98 Hannover receives a message on his smartphone reminding him that a new corona test is due. This is the only way he can gain access to the training facility. The NOVA app, which the technology company RLE INTERNATIONAL launched together with partners as part of the hygiene alliance, has proven itself for organizing the tests at the federal base in Hanover.
The user can book a test via the program and will receive the corresponding test certificate. If the result is negative, the rapid test status is automatically transmitted and access is granted at all check-ins (in sports facilities, museums, restaurants, etc.) within the period of validity. If the result is positive, the app initiates immediate contact tracing, thus helping to optimize and digitize the reporting chains.
Various possibilities
With its wide range of options, the NOVA app is an important building block for resuming sports operations. “The RLE’s concepts and solutions ensure additional security when accessing the training facility,” says DSV President Marco Troll. “The systems give us the opportunity to reduce the contact group to the actual contact persons. This limitation option allows us to maintain the training operation. We are therefore very happy that we have found a cooperation partner in RLE, who supports us with his many years of know-how in the areas of IT, engineering and construction and enables us to offer our clubs and pool operators the urgently needed solutions .”
Pilot project in Hanover
In view of the rising incidence figures, the solution is more up-to-date than ever. “The NOVA app can be a building block to enable a safe return to club-based sport despite the ongoing pandemic,” says Troll. A previous version has been successfully tested since autumn 2020 in cooperation with the DSV and the Lower Saxony State Swimming Association. The experiences of the users were then incorporated into the further development of the app. It has been available from the App Store and Google Play Store since April.
“Our constant willingness to innovate and technology transfer from the mobility sector to other industries and applications are part of our core competence in research and development. The pilot project with the German Swimming Association shows us how broad this range can be in times of the pandemic. We see our contribution in the future as well in the constantly evolving technologies and digitization,” explains Ralf Laufenberg, CEO of the RLE INTERNATIONAL group of companies.
The Deutsche Schwimm-Verband eV, together with its partners, is constantly looking for innovative solutions to get the pandemic under control and to keep sports going even in Corona times. In addition to the NOVA app, the hygiene station designed by RLE, which is already being used in a pilot project at the federal base in Hanover, also contributes. With entrance control, mask recognition and temperature measurement, the smart column reduces the risk of infected people entering the training facility to a minimum and also ensures contact tracing. “With RLE as a partner, we have succeeded in digitizing the processes and making the operation of the base significantly safer,” says DSV base manager Holger Rähse. When using the hygiene station, no staff is required to keep lists, manually check the body temperature of visitors and thus be exposed to a further risk of infection. All systems have the highest security standard for encrypted data collection and are GDPR-compliant.
Report by Philip Häfner
