The Application of Inertial Sensors in Elite Sports Monitoring

Abstract

Arguably the performance of elite athletes today has almost as much to do with science, as it does with training. Traditionally the measurement of elite athlete performance is commonly done in a laboratory environment where rigorous testing of biomechanics and physiology can take place. Laboratory testing however places limits on how the athlete performs, as the environment is sufficiently different to the training environment. In addition, performance characteristics are further augmented during competition when compared to regular training. By better understanding athlete performance during the competition and training environment coaches can more effectively work with athletes to improve their performance. The testing and monitoring of elite athletes in their natural training environment is a relatively new area of development that has been facilitated by advancements in microelectronics and other micro technologies. Whilst it is a logical progression to take laboratory equipment and miniaturize it for the training and competition environment, it introduces a number of considerations that need to be addressed. In this paper the use and application of inertial devices for elite and sub-elite sporting activities are discussed. The capacity of accelerometers and gyroscopes to measure human motion thousands of times per second in multiple axis and at multiple points on the body is well established. However interpretation of this data into well-known metrics suitable for use by sport scientists, coaches and athletes is something of a challenge. Traditional brute force techniques such as achieving dead reckoning position and velocity by multiple integration are generally regarded as an almost impossible task. However novel derivative measures of performance such as energy expenditure, pattern recognition of specific activities and characterisation of activities into specific phases of motion have achieved greater success interpreting sensor data.