Dr. Sands' article in Sports Performance & Tech features ProAnalyst software tracking the gymnast shown below.
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This video of a gymnast performing a tumbling routine highlights a situation that all too frequently results in injury to young athletes. Dr. Bill Sands of East Tennessee State University has been studying the problem of knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion for many years in his work with elite gymnasts, including many Olympians and US champions. Dr. Sands explains, "Gymnastics takeoffs are strange kinds of jumps involving rather minimal knee flexion and extreme ankle dorsiflexion. The extreme dorsiflexion ultimately, and too often, results in Achilles tendon ruptures." Dr. Sands believes that the problem is exacerbated by a second knee flexion occurring as a gymnast's heel contacts a spring floor that is "out of tune" with the jumping action. As this gymnast performs a backflip, the two occurrences of knee flexion are shown in the video and the associated data graph. ProAnalyst was used to place a dynamic angle measurement on the knee, showing how the knee flexes when the toe and then the heel make contact with the spring floor apparatus. The ankle dorsiflexion is also apparent as the gymnast's feet contact the floor and press to take off again. Working in a field that almost never permits markers on athletes, controlled lighting situations, or giving directions to the athletes, Dr. Sands likes ProAnalyst for its automatic and manual tracking capability and its simple procedures for calculating displacement, velocity, and acceleration. Through his research, Dr. Sands hopes to recommend improvements in spring floor design and better techniques and injury prevention awareness for competitive gymnasts.
Ball Flight Measurements
In this video, ProAnalyst 2-D Feature Tracking is used to determine the velocity and direction of a golf ball as a 5 iron strikes it. 1-D Line Tracking uses a series of lines to determine the club speed and any flexing or other variations along the shaft of the golf club.
Exercise Physiology
Exercise physiology is the study of the human body's responses and adaptation to the stresses of physical activity. At Loma Linda University in California, this treadmill test is used to assess cardiovascular fitness and endurance of test subjects, based on the length of the workout and the subject's performance. This research is used to develop exercise programs and manage health risk factors.
Running Shoe Material
In this video, a sports equipment manufacturer uses ProAnalyst to measure the compression of materials in the heel of the running shoe. MiDAS DA collects force plate data measuring the impact of the ball and heel of a runner's foot.
Leg Therapy
In this video from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, ProAnalyst tracks impact forces on a human leg as the foot hits a wall. The ability to view and assess the effects of impact assists sports physicians and physical therapists in creating treatment plans for sports injuries.
Rugby Sled Speed
Sled pushing is an important training tool for rugby players, football linemen, and other athletes who are required to perform a horizontal push against resistance. It is easy to determine the load on the sled, but more difficult to determine the velocity of the push. In this video provided by Dr. Bill Sands, ProAnalyst is used to determine the velocity of the sled movement at three different loads without the use of markers on the sled or the athlete. The loads were set at 60%, 80%, and 100% of body mass, with a push distance of 10 meters. Dr. James Hoffman at East Tennessee State University performed the research experiments. ProAnalyst software provides quick turnaround time of the information so coaches and athletes can receive feedback and modify their training routines if necessary. Dr. Sands comments, "The importance of the ability to rapidly return data to coaches and athletes cannot be understated." ProAnalyst's sophisticated video analysis benefits coaches, sports scientists, and others who must collect results and return feedback rapidly.
In this video of a rugby player pushing a training sled, ProAnalyst video analysis software from Xcitex is used to determine the velocity of the sled movement at three different loads over a 10-meter distance.
Diving Technique
In this video of a diver from Laval University in Quebec, Canada, ProAnalyst creates a stick figure to illustrate the angle of the diver's body as he enters the water. A dynamic angle measurement increases and decreases as the diver kicks and swims.
Strobed Golf Swing
We use ProAnalyst to create a strobe effect on a high speed golf swing.
Fencing Flick
Xcitex Application Engineers recreates 2-D analysis of the fencing flick as it appeared in PLoS ONE. Automatically tracked points on the fencer and foil help to unwrap the efficiency of the motion and body position during this strike. Based on research by: Anya N. Michaelsen and Corey L. Cleland at James Madison University.Go behind the scenes and watch how it was done using ProAnalyst to automatically track features for kinematic applications. Learn more about this application and read the study here:
https://www.xcitex.com/xcitex-ProAnalyst-kinematic-fencing-study.php
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