Biomechanical indices represented on radar chart for assessment of performance and infringements in elite race-walkers

Nowadays, technology in sport plays an important role to help training and judgement processes. This study proposes the use of a wearable inertial system to derive novel biomechanical indices for the assessment of performance and infringements in race-walking. These indices are built from five inertial-based parameters: loss of ground contact time, loss of ground contact step classification, step length ratio, step cadence and smoothness. The biomechanical indices are customized for elite race-walkers, and represented on a radar chart for an intuitive analysis of performance and infringements. From the radar chart, a synthetic index regarding the athlete’s overall gesture is derived. The validation of the biomechanical indices is carried out in field tests, involving nine elite race-walkers wearing an inertial sensor located at the end of the column vertebra (L5–S1). A statistical analysis is used to determinate the quality and reliability of the proposed indices and of their representation. The results show that these biomechanical indices can be implemented on a wearable inertial system for assistance in training and judgement in race-walking.

[1]  Stanislao Grazioso,et al.  User-centered design of an innovative foot stretcher for ergometers to enhance the indoor rowing training , 2018 .

[2]  Etienne Burdet,et al.  A Robust and Sensitive Metric for Quantifying Movement Smoothness , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[3]  Andrea Tarallo,et al.  Development of a New Experimental Protocol for Analysing the Race-walking Technique Based on Kinematic and Dynamic Parameters☆ , 2016 .

[4]  Antonio Lanzotti,et al.  Outdoor Tests for the Validation of an Inertial System Able to Detect Illegal Steps in Race-walking , 2016 .

[5]  Athanassios Bissas,et al.  The biomechanics of elite race walking: technique analysis and the effects of fatigue , 2010 .

[6]  Giuseppe Di Gironimo,et al.  Towards a new monitoring system to detect illegal steps in race-walking , 2017 .

[7]  Didik R. Santoso,et al.  Development of Precession Instrumentation System for Differentiate Walking from Running in Race Walking by Using Piezoelectric Sensor , 2013 .

[8]  Daniel Arthur James,et al.  Detection of Illegal Race Walking: A Tool to Assist Coaching and Judging , 2013, Sensors.

[9]  Eduardo Palermo,et al.  Automatic Detection of Faults in Race Walking: A Comparative Analysis of Machine-Learning Algorithms Fed with Inertial Sensor Data , 2019, Sensors.

[10]  Daniel Arthur James,et al.  Validation of trunk mounted inertial sensors for analysing running biomechanics under field conditions, using synchronously collected foot contact data , 2010 .

[11]  Andrea Pieter,et al.  Outcome Effects and Effects Sizes in Sport Sciences , 2009 .

[12]  Dario Cazzola,et al.  The biomechanics of race walking: Literature overview and new insights , 2014, European journal of sport science.

[13]  S. Grant,et al.  Statistics for Sports and Exercise Science: A Practical Approach , 2009 .

[14]  Ole Marius Hoel Rindal,et al.  A multi-sensor system for automatic analysis of classical cross-country skiing techniques , 2017 .

[15]  Chris Little,et al.  An evaluation of inertial sensor technology in the discrimination of human gait , 2013, Journal of sports sciences.

[16]  Brian Hanley,et al.  Gait Alterations During Constant Pace Treadmill Racewalking , 2015, Journal of strength and conditioning research.