Trackd is a phone mount that physically follows the ball during a soccer match using on-device computer vision. Plug your iPhone in, mount on a tripod near the half-way line, and the motorised pan-tilt rig automatically pans and tilts to keep the ball centred. No subscription, A$199, works with any iPhone 12 or newer running iOS 17.
What 'follows the ball' actually means
Some phone mounts marketed as 'tracking' actually follow a person, not the ball — usually a wearable beacon or facial recognition of a single subject. Trackd is different: the AI specifically detects the soccer ball every frame and points the mount at it. Players come and go in the frame; the ball stays centred. That's the design that produces match-day game film, not solo-creator vlog footage.
How the physical mount works
- Two motors: one pan (horizontal), one tilt (vertical).
- Brushless, damped — smooth motion under load.
- Bluetooth Low Energy link to the phone at 30 to 50 Hz update rate.
- Standard 3/8-inch tripod thread on the underside, plus a 1/4-inch adapter.
- Powered via the iPhone's charging cable — also charges the phone while filming.
How the AI works
On-device neural network detects the ball every frame (YOLOv11n). A short-horizon tracker maintains the ball's identity through occlusion (OC-SORT). A player re-identification model stabilises the framing when the ball is briefly hidden (OSNet-AIN). All processing happens on the iPhone — no cloud, no streaming, no per-frame inference cost. /how-it-works has the full breakdown.
Versus other phone-mount form factors
| Spec | Trackd | XbotGo Chameleon | Pivo Pod Max | BallerCam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware price | A$199 | A$540 | A$600 | A$385 |
| Subscription | None | None | Optional — A$145/yr | Optional — A$155/yr |
| Form factor | Motorised pan-tilt mount + your iPhone | Motorised mount + your phone | Motorised phone holder + your phone | iPhone case form factor — phone is the camera (iPhone 13 Pro+) |
| Tracking method | Ball + AI player re-ID (YOLOv11n + OC-SORT + OSNet-AIN) | Ball + jersey-number detection | Person-tracking (designed for solo creators, not team sports) | Wide-angle digital crop on the phone itself (no motorised mount) |
| Made in | Australia | China | South Korea | United States |
| Best for | Grassroots clubs, parents and coaches who want pro framing without subscriptions | Coaches who want a physical mount and don't mind importing from overseas | Solo creators and individual training drills | Solo training filmers who want a small, pocketable case |
Setup time and portability
Full setup takes under 60 seconds: tripod up, mount on tripod, phone clipped in, app open, press record. The mount itself fits in a small backpack pocket — roughly the size of a water bottle. Between matches, snap the iPhone out and Trackd's mount tucks back into the bag.
The phone mount built to follow a ball
Trackd A$199, ships before the FIFA World Cup. Free international shipping.