EXPERIENCE THE FUTURE INTERNET

2013

THE FUTURE INTERNET IS PLAYING A KEY ROLE IN ENHANCING EXPERIENCE AND PERFORMANCE OF ELITE ATHLETES
CENTRE DALT RENDIMENT (CAR) SMART VENUE
CAR is a high performance training centre for elite athletes providing everything necessary for training and competition at the highest level. Technology is at the heart of CARs activities and the use of advanced human tracking and monitoring systems provide coaches and athletes with the essential data to push the human body to ever greater achievements.

ENHANCING TRAINING EXPERIENCE AND PERFORMANCE

High performance training is a complex endeavor requiring continuous support from specialists responsible for analysis of multi-factor data. Coaches and doctors need accurate measurements in order to offer the correct feedback for performance improvements and to avoiding injuries. Feedback must be timely and often instantaneous to increase the efficiency of training sessions. FMI technologies have the potential to achieve these goals by moving current laboratory procedures to integral elements of day to day training practices. The Centre dalt Rendiment is an EXPERIMEDIA smart venue offering live events, communities, and infrastructure for research and testing of innovative technologies supporting new forms

BENEFITS OF TECHNOLOGY TRIALS AT CAR

CAR can help developers understand how new technologies can track and analyse human activities especially in the domain of high performance sports. Technologies trialed at CAR engage athletes, coaches and sports scientists directly in co-creation and evaluation. CAR enables tests with small groups of athletes and scientific experts. With access to training areas and network/cloud infrastructure available on site CAR is a unique opportunity.

of social interaction and experience. Check out what others are doing at EXPERIMEDIA
W W W .EXPERIM EDI A. E U

CONFetti

interactive media for

collaborative
sports training
MOTIVATION
Technology is an essential element of high performance sport which helps coaches and sports scientists design and execute training plans for elite athletes. CONFetti focused on how to support participation of remote coaches in gymnastics training. Can the availability of coaches be increased by holding training sessions even when they are not present at the venue? Does access to additional motion tracking and sensor data concerning the athletes' performance improve coaching decisions? Is the transfer of knowledge and instructions more efficient with the use of archival footage and 3D model teaching aids? Do new technologies like augmented reality or stereoscopy appeal to young athletes and make the sessions more interesting and, in turn, more beneficial? These are just some of the issues explored by CONFetti. Instant replays in 3D and slow motion help athletes review performance and understand coaches remarks. HD Enhancing video collaborative 3D

ENHANCING USER EXPERIENCE

video conferencing with stereoscopy make the remote training session a valid alternative to personal interaction.

training processes using HD conferencing, of and reconstruction activities human

augmented

3D/video visualization.

BENEFITS TO CAR
The system proved to be useful for sports training applications. The

venue found it beneficial to make use of the systems possibilities in the training process. The tests have

TECHNICAL INNOV ATION

The technologies used included HD videoconferencing, stereoscopy, motion tracking and augmented reality. The experiment employed a system allowing the coach to hold a training session without the need for his presence in the training hall. He connected remotely with his protgs located in the hall using a high definition (HD) videoconferencing tool. The system enabled him to observe the athletes performing their gymnastics routines and, afterwards, to give them advice while reviewing an instant replay with slow motion capabilities. Additionally, the coach is able to review and present archival footage of athletes recorded with stereoscopic (3D) HD cameras. This footage also includes a 3D model of a human body reflecting the athlete's movements collected via motion tracking. The stream with the animated avatar allowed the coach to analyse the depth of the athlete's motions and give the athlete more meaningful feedback.

proven that it is feasible to set up such a system in a real-life training hall and that its performance is satisfactory for the purposes evaluated in the scenario. Making coaches availability remotely increases efficiency and reduces costs. Sergiusz Zieliski

FUTURE OPPORTNITIES
The platform developed demonstrated the potential to CAR who have learned what is possible. The next steps require procurement of the supporting infrastructure (cameras, PC, capture cards) and small developments to provide remote coaches additional features.

T: +48 618 502511 E: sergiusz@man.poznan.pl

KEY FEATURES:
HD VIDEO C ONFE RENCING: 3D stereoscopic video conferencing including archival, instant slow motion replays and frame by frame analysis. 3D RECONS TRUC TI ON: 3D models of athletes bodies and training activities reconstructed from sensor data. AU GMENTED VIDE O STRE AMS: 3D models of human activities overlaid on video streams.

3D Media In Sports

non-invasive

3D reconstruction
of biomechanics
MOTIVATION
3D Media In Sports investigates the usefulness of 3D information in weightlifting and cycling high performance sports training processes. 3D information is a key element for accurate and productive training in many aspects. For instance, information that in the past was captured either solely by the trainer and interpreted thanks to their experience (such as joint kinematics or an aerodynamics profile) or from wearable devices that can affect the athletes performance, can now be automatically gathered by low cost non-invasive sensing devices and processed in real-time providing useful feedback to the user (trainer and/or athlete). By being able to accurately manipulate this information a whole new world of opportunities emerges in the Future Media Internet (FMI). Athletes biomechanical measurements are captured without the restrictions associated with invasive sensors attached to their body. The system can be easily installed in the field rather than needing to go to a laboratory environment. Enhancing training performance using low cost noninvasive visual and depth sensors

ENHANCING USER EXPERIENCE

BENEFITS TO CAR
The biomechanical measurements showed promising results. In weightlifting the accuracy of the trajectory was correct but the joint kinematics were not reliable enough due to

TECHNICAL INNOV ATION

The Microsoft Kinect was a breakthrough device for capturing 3D information but natively has various problems. Sophisticated algorithms were developed to improve accuracy for the demands of high performance sport. The algorithms provide correction of inaccurate depth estimation, constrain the Kinects calculated human skeleton data to physical poses to enhance reliability, as well as many more enhancements that are particularly suitable for sports biomechanics. Novel algorithms were developed for two use cases (weightlifting and cycling). For weightlifting the trajectory of the bar was tracked including its velocity and angle, and the knee angle of the weightlifter was also recorded. For cycling, aerodynamics variables such as the cyclists frontal area, arm-torso angle, horizontal axis-torso angle and forearm-arm angle are calculated. EXPERIMEDIA offers a unique combination of 3D based biomechanical information enabling more novel application domains.

the fast movements of the weightlifter. The results for the frontal area in cycling are encouraging. High performance sports training centres such as CAR benefit from the use of such technologies and can provide better services to their athletes and trainers increasing productivity of training sessions at a fraction of the cost. Petros Daras T: +30 2310 464160 E: daras@iti.gr Nicholas Vretos T: +30 2310 464160 E: vretos@iti.gr

FUTURE OPPORTNITIES
With the launch of Kinect HD later in 2013 the accuracy of the algorithms will be increased dramatically. Since 3D biomechanical information can be streamed over the Internet seamlessly and accurately, sports communities using dedicated social media can benefit from the use of such information and its integration into new 3D media services.

KEY FEATURES:
DEPTH AC QUISI TION: Scene depth information with advanced filtering to smooth and de-noise for more accurate measurements. SKELETAL AC QUISI TIO N: Robust and realistic skeleton extraction for up to 15 joints as input to motion tracking. . BIOMECH ANICS ME ASUREMEN TS: Angles of bones, human joints, body part surface areas, and calibrated object velocities and surface areas.

Live Synchro

accurate analysis of

choreographed
team sports
MOTIVATION
Live Synchro demonstrates a new procedure to improve the accuracy and execution of the performance of the synchronized swimming (synchro) teams on a mandatory routine of the Olympic Games. In a sport like synchro, having processed audio-visual content and being able to watch and learn from it can improve the training results, but today training sessions are captured and processed manually. Live Synchro aims to put professional audio-visual acquisition and production tools into the hands of coaches allowing them to provide real-time feedback at the pool side. Can technologies enhance the process to improve the execution, quality and accuracy of the synchronized swimming routines including quality of the artistic and technical results? Can the FMI increase the quality of training sessions by more effective feedback, increasing collaboration with remote trainers and making it easier for athletes to make their own contributions to choreographies? Increased accuracy of the analysis of training routines with more timely feedback to teams. Less time wasted handling audio visual content. Enhancing the quality of choreographed team sports using professional audiovisual content management and metadata syncrhonisation

ENHANCING USER EXPERIENCE

BENEFITS TO CAR
Training processes would be more efficient due to the reduction in the time taken by coaches, athletes and staff to manage and review audiovisual content.

FUTURE OPPORTNITIES
The system was a prototype demonstrating ideas and requires productisation before production deployment.

TECHNICAL INNOV ATION

Audio-visual media services are at the heart of the system providing streaming to internet, streaming to a local player, remote control over streams, storage of a video (temporary or archive) and transcoding. Sport-specific services are provided to annotate music choreographies, to manage training sessions and the teams involved. Statistical information is collected about the usage of the infrastructure in terms of Quality of Service metrics reported to EXPERIMEDIAs ECC. This is important to understand the demands such novel training processes place on the infrastructure at CAR.

The system is applicable to other disciplines with similar characteristics such as artistic gymnastics. David Salama Osborne T: +34 655 822105 E: david.salama@atos.net

KEY FEATURES:
TR AINI NG P ATTE RNS: Music annotations describing all figures and elements of routines. METAD ATA SYN CHRON IS ATI O N: Live synchronization of training videos with training pattern metadata. AUD IO VISU AL C ON TENT M AN AGEMENT: Training session content acquired and easily shared with the team pool side and remotely afterwards.

3D Acrobatic Sports

wireless sensor

motion capture
and 3D visualisation
MOTIVATION
Quick delivery of performance data to the athletes and coaches is an essential part of any training programme. The availability of mobile devices (such as tablets, laptops, etc.) has the potential to make data collection from sensors and providing real-time feedback to athletes much easier. Sensors are getting smaller allowing them to be worn by athletes without restricting their movements. Add in Wi-Fi connectivity and you can imagine systems where performance data is continuous collected, transferred, processed and analysed throughout training sessions. How do all these trends influence training programmes? Thats what the experiment was investigating. Wireless sensors make measurements possible in the field without having to go to the laboratory. Enhancing visitor experi-

ENHANCING USER EXPERIENCE

ence using gamification of

BENEFITS TO CAR
Sports scientists now understand the strengths and limits of current inertial sensors and have experienced approaches for incorporating wireless sensor technologies into athletes training programmes.

learning, collective interactive role playing and immersive experiences

TECHNICAL INNOV ATION

3D Acrobatics carried out research on synchronization of motion capture, video and metadata. Wireless inertial sensors were used to capture biomechanics data which was transferred to a local device for instantaneous visualisation of athletes movements through a synchronised 3D model and video. Specific biomechanical models were developed for the Pommel Horse exercises to provide the data necessary for assessment of the training process. The devices also connect to a data management service hosted on a private cloud making it available for further processing and sharing with the community. The data from this experiment when connected to CONFetti generated 3D models to be displayed in the HD video conferencing system. The athlete has the possibility of sharing her/his data with trainers, colleagues and friends who might be geographically distributed, thus enlarging the experience to wider communities.

FUTURE OPPORTNITIES
The experiment highlighted some limitations for the use of inertial sensor for gymnastics disciplines. CAR identified other activities such as football, cycling and rehabilitation where the technology would be more suitable. These are now being explored by STT. Jose Manuel Jimenez T: + 34 696 274987 E: JMJimenez@stt-systems.com

KEY FEATURES:
INERTI AL MO TIO N C AP TURE: Wireless motion sensors for tracking human activities. MOTION C APTU RE/VIDEO S YN C: Synchronisation of metadata with video generated by motion capture. 3D VISU ALIS ATION: Instantaneous visualisation of athletes motion on mobile training devices. .

EXPERIENCE THE FUTURE INTERNET

Josep Escoda (CAR Smart Venue) CTO - Chief Technology Officer Secretary General ASPC Av. Alcalde Barnils 3-5 08174 Sant Cugat del Valles Barcelona, SPAIN T +34 93 5891572 E jescoda@ies.car.edu Michael Boniface (Project Coordinator) IT Innovation Centre Gamma House Enterprise Road, Southampton England SO16 7NS T +44 23 8059 8866 E info@experimedia.eu W www.it-innovation.soton.ac.uk

W W W .EXPERIM EDI A. E U