Report

The use of inertial sensors for measuring wheelchair sports activities

The use of innovative technology has become a key feature of research that has improved knowledge and performance levels in wheelchair court sports.

Lead academic:
Professor Vicky Tolfrey
Additional academics:
Barry Mason
Funder:
The Peter Harrison Foundation

The challenge that now faces researchers is to collect scientific data about athletes鈥� performance in an environment that is most relevant for them.

For wheelchair court sport athletes this means a shift from laboratory based testing towards field based tests wherever possible. Recently an inertial sensor has been developed to help determine the speed profiles of athletes during over-ground propulsion, which this study aimed to validate.

Methods

A wireless inertial sensor was attached to the axle of a sports wheelchair which was tested at incremental speeds (1-6m•s-1) on a motor driven treadmill which had previously been calibrated. The sensor was then assessed for its detection of peak speed during maximal effort sprinting on a wheelchair ergometer compared to high-speed video analysis.

Main findings and applications

  • During incremental testing on the treadmill, systematic bias and random errors never exceeded 0.086 m鈭檚-1.
  • The sensor was also shown to be reliable with coefficients of variation never exceeding 0.9% CV.
  • During maximal sprinting the sensors provided a reliable representation of peak speed (<1.6% CV.)
  • The inertial sensor tested can be considered an accurate and reliable tool for the assessment of linear wheelchair performance.

Reference

  • Mason BS, Rhodes J, Goosey-Tolfrey VL. (2014). Validity and reliability of an inertial sensor for wheelchair court sports performance. Journal of Applied Biomechanics. 30: 326-331. DOI: