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Sports sensor has wider application
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14/04/2008
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A team from Imperial College’s Centre for Pervasive Sensing has demonstrated what they call a ‘revolutionary’ sports sensor. The device, created by Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, is inspired by the semicircular canals of the inner ear which are responsible for controlling motion and balance.
Similar in look to a hearing aid, the sensor fits snugly behind the ear and gathers large amounts of data about posture, step frequency, acceleration and response to shock waves travelling through the body as their feet hit the ground.
A miniature processor inside the earpiece collects this data and transmits wirelessly it to a laptop so an athlete’s performance can be monitored in real time whilst they are training. This process allows a coach to detect problems, for example incorrect posture at the start of a run, and to rectify it immediately.
According to Imperial’s Dr Benny Lo, the device can not only improve the performance of athletes, but also has wider applications in healthcare. “The constant stream of real time information flowing wirelessly from these sensors to computers means medical staff could monitor the elderly and people living with chronic diseases like degenerative arthritis or Parkinson’s disease without the patient needing to visit their doctor.”
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Author
Graham Pitcher
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