B22 Novel measures for swimming using inertial sensor technology

Abstract

Freestyle swimming is technically challenging and also can be difficult to analyse. Understanding the various actions, such as armstroke, kick, and body roll, is important for performance analysis. Inertial sensors can biomechanically capture temporal kinematics. Measuring the timing and coordination of the kinematics associated with armstroke, kick, and body roll provides performance analysers with a means to quantify progression of a swimmer's development. Video use is the typical method for analysis, however, there are shortcomings with this system. Inertial technology can overcome some issues. Outcomes from this study indicate that patterns in the inertial sensor data are consistent. Therefore assessment is possible. Not only for each individual variable of armstroke, kick, and body roll, but also relative to each other.