Prof. Dr. Martin Lames, Professor of the Chair of Training Science and Sport Informatics, considers the project on "Radio-based running diagnostics in athletics" to represent "a revolution in sprinting diagnostics". For this purpose, the Federal Institute for Sports Science (BISp) will support the department with around 100 000 euros until the end of February 2018. For the study, the team of Prof. Lames cooperates with the Fraunhofer Institute for integrated circuits (IIS) in Nuremberg and the German Athletics Federation (DLV).
Status quo: Inadequate precision of measurement devices
The sprinting discipline is the fastest of all athletic sports. Steps must follow one another at an exceptional rate. "When sprinting, the duration of contact to the ground is less than one tenth of a second. Between 75 and 95 millliseconds," explains Lames. Consequently, this results in high demands for the measuring devices.
Previous analyses cover only stride length and frequency, and relate either to positional observations, the precision of which is not always sufficient, or involve complex video analysis. However, they are only used in training or in the follow-up analysis of competitions. "Right after a race athletes must rely on their own feelings," claims Lames.
'RedFIR' application in sprinting
That will now change through the BISp project. "We want to significantly develop the diagnostics for the sprint discipline during competition within the framework of the project and to then provide the DLV athletes with data which previously were not measurable. And to do so, for the first time, in real time, so that analyses in competition are possible immediately after a run," says Lames.
For this purpose, the "RedFIR" system is applied for the first time in an individual sport. "RedFIR" was developed by the Fraunhofer IIS and is a portable, radar-based system for high resolution detection of positional data. "The system sends with 50,000 hertz - that is 50,000 times per second - and is thus able to generate much more precise data than previous devices," explains Daniel Linke who manages the project at the TUM Department for Training Science and Sports Informatics. Hereby, ground contact time, stride length, step frequency and flight time can be collected and then analyzed over the entire 100 meters with a completely new quality of data.
Data and algorithms result in speed parameters and recommendations
For the measurements, transmitters in the shoe and attached to the back of the athletes are used. The first tests with four types of broadcasters were already very promising. Once the optimal position and type of transmitter is found, the data collection can begin. In a second step these are then analyzed further. "We want to identify algorithms and derive speed parameters to provide even more precise feedback for athletes," says Linke.
"We are now experiencing a breakthrough in sensor technology, which enables completely new data collection in many areas of top sports. Here, we want to remain in the front row," explains Lames. Thus, an expansion of the existing project has already been approved for application in the 400 meter run, the hurdles and the relay. The resulting data and knowledge are passed on directly to the practitioners in competitive sports and may perhaps someday lead to Olympic medals...
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Contact:
Daniel Linke
Chair of Training Science and Sport Informatics
Uptown Munich, Campus D
Georg-Brauchle Ring 60/62
80992 Munich
Telephone: 089 289 24502
Email: Daniel.Linke(at)tum.de
Text: Fabian Kautz
Photos: TUM/Linke