A real time vibrotactile biofeedback system for optimizing athlete training

In sports applications, the use of real time performance monitoring and biofeedback is vital for optimized training, technique improvements and minimized risk of injuries. This paper presents an efficient mechanism to allow athletes to utilize biofeedback and vibrotactile feedback to regulate their exercise intensity to optimize their performance. ECG sensor (heart rate) and force sensors are utilized to measure the intensity of the exercise. The proposed system uses Karvonen equation to calculate the predicted maximum heart rate (HRmax) of an individual. Once the HRmax is calculated, vibrotactile feedback is provided to the athlete in order to stay within a lactate threshold; i.e. athlete's body prevents the accumulation of lactic acid in the body hence preventing fatigue. Along with keeping track of the Target Heart Rate Range, the proposed system keeps track of the amount of calories burnt by an athlete during an exercise session hence ensuring that the intended amount of calories are burnt at the right heart rate in order to increase the overall efficiency of the workout. Preliminary performance analysis has shown the effectiveness of the system to maintain a desirable intensity of exercising for optimal training using vibrotactile feedback as opposed to other forms of existing feedback and no feedback.