AHFE Open AccessHuman Factors in Sports, Performance and Wellness
Editors: Jay Kalra
Topics: Healthcare and Medical Devices
Publication Date: 2024
ISBN: 978-1-964867-26-7
DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005283
Articles
VibroTactile Feedback application for correcting and guiding posterior knee flexion during the loading phase of a baseball swing.
This research presents the function and validation of an innovative low-cost Vibrotactile feedback system that can be used to control rear knee flexion during the loading phase of a baseball swing. This new VTF system employs only two NOTCH® inertia sensors and two LRA actuators. It can be controlled by a coach or fellow player, making feedback individually applicable. The system is easy to use and compatible with the current NOTCH® Pioneer application. The system is tested on 12 participants who had an average of 14 years of baseball experience. As a control group, auditory feedback was used, the contemporary form of feedback to teach baseball players the correct body postures. During the tests, participants were guided to a predetermined posture using both feedback methods. This posture consisted of a 30° flexion of the posterior knee during the loading phase of a baseball swing. A margin of error of 5° was established, meaning that a flexion between 28° and 32° was considered correct. No further feedback was given once the correct position was adopted. A push metaphor was used to respond to the vibrotactile stimuli.During tis research, both feedback systems successfully guided the participant to the correct position in all 120 cases. Results showed that the new VTF system was significantly more efficient than auditory feedback in guiding participants correctly (p=0.01). On average, the VTF system was 16.99% or 0.89 seconds faster in guiding the posterior knee flexion than the auditory feedback. For 10 out of 12 participants, the VTF system was more efficient than auditory feedback in guiding the participant to the correct loading position. In particular, for eight participants, the VTF system was more than 20% faster. At maximum efficiency, the VTF system was 36% more efficient than the current auditory feedback. The functioning of this system opens up many new application possibilities in both baseball and other sports, as well as posture improvement and guidance in general.
Harold Langezaal, Guido De Bruyne, Stijn Verwulgen
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Prism Glasses Reduce Aerodynamic Drag in Time Trial Cycling on The Velodrome
In the highly competitive world of cycling time trials, reducing aerodynamic drag is the most important instrument to increasing performance. This study explores the effects of using prism glasses, already used by climbers, to prevent overstraining neck muscles while securing another climber above, as a new tool to decrease aerodynamic drag in cycling time trials. The prism glasses shift a person’s vision with 45°, allowing the cyclist to keep their head tucked and pointed downwards, while still being able to see the road ahead. This study compared this downward, more ergonomic position with the glasses with an upright time trial head position in five high level cyclists on an indoor velodrome. The setup and methodology of the study was approved by the ethical commission of the University of Antwerp, allowing for the cyclists to ride on the velodrome at high speeds of 45 km/h with the glasses. The study revealed significant improvements in aerodynamic drag (CdA) for participants when wearing prism glasses while obtaining a downward head position, compared to the normal upward head position during cycling. Participants showed reductions in CdA ranging from 2.1% to 3.3% compared to normal racing position. Results were confirmed across all participants with frontal area tracking on a static indoor bike trainer (FAAST-trainer pro), where cyclists held an identical position to the one during the velodrome tests. Participants were able to comfortable use the glasses at high speeds in straight sections, however not in corners. The balance of the ride is affected by the glasses, but the learning curve proved to be steep for the participants in this study.
Dries Matthys, Siemen Lippens, Stijn Verwulgen
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Gender Disparities in Wrist Movement Patterns Among Collegiate Amateur Golfers: A Biomechanical Case Study
The study investigated how gender impacts college golfers' wrist angles as they execute swings. While many studies have been done on numerous aspects of golf biomechanics, little has been done to fully investigate gender differences in wrist movement patterns in college golf. Understanding these differences can be helpful in developing specialized training plans and methods to prevent injuries for male and female college golf players and improve performance. Many previous studies have only focused on the professional level of golfers when gender was an independent variable, this study will focus on the collegiate amateur golfers and explore if there are any significant gender-related disparities between male and female golfers, specifically in wrist angles. A sample of collegiate golfers will be selected from Division One college golf teams. Four collegiate golfers evenly split between the males and females will make up the sample. To guarantee appropriate representation, efforts will be made to engage an equal number of male and female participants. Wearing motion sensors connected to their wrists, participants must execute a series of golf swings. The motion sensors will record wrist angle data in real-time during the swings, including pitch, roll, and yaw, using accelerometer and gyroscope technology. To reduce external influences on the execution of the swing, data collecting will take place in controlled settings, such as indoor golf practice facilities. In this proposed research we will be using a combination of Xsens Wireless motion sensors, as well as software such as MATLAB, to help filter the data so we can perform statistical analysis. The collected data will be analyzed in this research to compare and analyze the variations in wrist motion between male and female collegiate golfers. The study will utilize statistical techniques to examine any gender-based differences in wrist movement patterns during golf swings. The investigation will concentrate on certain wrist angle measures to identify significant variations between individuals who are male and female. The results of this study may provide significant insight into the biomechanical differences in wrist angles that occur across genders in college golfers' swings. Recognizing these differences might help with creating individualized training plans, improving teaching techniques, and producing injury prevention plans for male and female college golf players. This study intends to add to the body of knowledge on sports biomechanics by examining gender-specific disparities in wrist angles during golf swings among collegiate players. The results have important significance for improving performance, injury prevention methods, and training methodology refinement in collegiate golf.
Ka Hin Kevin Lee, Yueqing Li
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Optimal Calorie Intake for Undergraduate Students During University Hours
The transition to university marks a significant phase for many young adults, characterised by academic pursuits, physical growth, and independence in decision-making. However, this period also introduces new challenges due to the nature of the phase like stress-related eating habits, irregular dietary habits, limited physical activity, and reliance on processed food due to time constraints. The aim of this study is to estimate the recommended calorie intake for a Junior undergraduate student (17 Credit Hours) in a small-sized university (36.7 acres) during university hours using the calculated energy expenditure of on-campus activities. A 5 week-day schedule was used to record the average duration of activities. In addition, surveyed demographical data (age, weight, height, and sleep duration) was used to calculate the energy expenditure using the Harris-Benedict (H-B) formula, published literature, and our data recordings. The findings show the recommended calorie intake for optimal nutrition during university hours for a junior Industrial Engineering student in a small campus to be 1224.73 ± 314.41 kcal.
Atef Ghaleb, Karim Qawasmi, Sultan Alowedi
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Investigating the relationship between microclimate factors and human exercise performance from the perspective of citizen science
The United Nations has long upheld the value of sports and exercise in building healthy individuals, promoting societal values, and nurturing crucial life skills. There exists a significant body of work already conducted on how environmental factors affect elite sporting athletes. However, much remains to be discovered about the effect of environmental conditions on exercise performance particularly as it might relate to more localised microclimates. This paper reports an independent research project conducted by a pair of high school students between April 2023 and March 2024, under the mentorship of a senior research scientist at the National Institute of Education in Singapore. The study aimed to investigate the relationships between microclimate factors and human exercise performance, and is situated under the aegis of a broader trajectory of work in which investigations of microclimate are approached from maker-centric perspectives. The particular exercise of interest was running due to its wide applicability and versatility. From personal experience, when the environment is hot and humid, the authors have found it particularly challenging to carry out an exercise routine at high intensities; exhaustion sets in rather quickly. To investigate this relationship, a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) environmental unit was built using Internet of Things (IoT) environmental sensors, which measured microclimate readings such as humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, ambient temperature, and wind speed. To capture exercise performance, biometric wristbands were built from component parts, using electrodermal activity sensors, an accelerometer and a gyroscope. This biometric device recorded raw electrical signals in the skin, as well as relevant physiological data from dynamic movements during exercise. The device – similar in function to a smartwatch - better suited the present investigation as it outputs raw electrical data. Both devices were secured with arm band straps. Prior to a session, participants were asked to fill out a form to self-report their current state of well-being, as well as present level of fitness. After a 15-minute warm-up, they were then asked to follow a pattern of activity adapted from the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST), over a marked 20-m distance, in a specified location chosen by convenience, while wearing both the environmental device and biometric wristbands. Throughout the session, after warmup and after every set of activities, qualitative assessments were conducted on participants using Borg’s Rating of Perceived Exertion scale. This afforded a preliminary evaluation of the runner’s level of exertion during the exercise, and subsequent analysis with real-time environmental data would uncover underlying relationships between performance perception and microclimate. The data was preprocessed, then analysed using machine learning algorithms to uncover underlying correlations between environmental data and level of exertion during an exercise as measured by electrodermal activity (EDA). The latter has shown to be greatly influenced by ambient temperature and air humidity, displaying high correlation metrics. This agrees well with the existing body of work, thus further proving the potential of low–cost DIY sensors in investigating complex relationships involving human factors. Our findings could provide useful inferences for designing activity spaces to maximise athletes’ exercise performance.
Yi Ming Quek, Nho An Dinh, Kenneth Y T Lim, Duc Minh Anh Nguyen, Nguyen Thien Minh Tuan
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Approach for evaluating breast motion for sports bra design
Traditional studies evaluating breast motion and bra performance have involved human subjects, but maintaining consistent results is challenging due to biomechanical limitations. Therefore, this study proposes an objective and reliable method to ensure consistent testing conditions for evaluating breast motion. This method involves designing a manikin with soft breast prostheses and incorporating with a commercial 6-degree-of-freedom robotic arm. Soft silicone rubber was used for fabrication of artificial breasts. Moreover, the robotic arm can replicate the movement of torso, and the soft breast prostheses can mimic that of female breast. The results show the breast prostheses of manikin close to the human breast in dynamic performance that was validated by the motion capture experiment. This new approach can be used for evaluating the sports bra to compare their supporting level.
Kwok Tung Hui, Yeok Tatt Cheah, Kit Lun Yick, Ho Ching, Joanne Yip, Sun Pui Ng
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Complementary Approach and Mixed Assessments – INNOAGON's Basic Research Methods
Every complementary approach is at the same time interdisciplinary, but not vice versa. This elementary methodological rule at INNOAGON (an acronym for the new applied science ‘innovative agonology’) is crucial because it applies whenever the word ‘struggle’ (or its synonyms) emphasises the extremity of the phenomenon under study The aim of this work is to highlight the two basic methods of INNOAGON in the most general terms. If one accepts the most general definition of method as 'a means of achieving an end', it is clear that in the field of research methodology the cognitive layer dominates over the applied one. Science is a human activity, so it is not surprising that also in this area there is room for 'fashionable lines of research', as well as crushes on 'fashionable theories'. The simplest definition of the word 'everything' – 'without exception', intuitively raises doubts: when it comes to 'theory of everything', is it really about the capabilities (competences) of science? At the core of the complementary approach is the awareness of the already available valuable knowledge about the explored phenomenon, the knowledge about the hypotheses and new questions posed by the experts studying this phenomenon, but also the awareness of the necessity to face the unknown. More in the text.
Roman Maciej Kalina
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Burning books in human history as evidence of extremely aggressive activation of the 'toxic power syndrome'
In this scientific essay, we highlight some common aspects of the issue of transferred aggression and symbolic aggression from the perspective of ‘innovative agonology’ – acronym INNOAGON. The cognitive goal of the essay is just the most general rationale regarding an open question: whether this new applied science will increase the chance of at least offsetting in the public space the pernicious, multidimensional effects of pervasive, commercially motivated violence and aggression. It would be ludicrous to equate the criterion for balancing the pathology of violence and aggression with the time and number of messages available to the two parties in the daily cycle. One is represented by entities for whom it is an attractive commodity or the dominant mode of action. The other - in addition to agonologists, individuals and collective actors who are aware (although not all of them refer to scientific evidence) that the continuation of such a practice on a macro level is a simple path to the self-destruction of global civilization. Potential perpetrators could be public affairs coordinators with the highest intensity of 'toxic power syndrome' and at the same time with access to nuclear and biological weapons. The claim that enhancing 'creative power syndrome' at every stage of ontogenesis is the most profitable investment of an individual is both a simple demonstration of the power of evidence-based argumentation. However, social circumstances unambiguously limit applications to the micro scale).
Michal Kruszewski, Leon Krzemieniecki
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Interpretation of Chinese hand-to-hand fighting systems and therapeutic exercises from the perspective of the INNOAGON methodology
The traditional Chinese aerobic fitness exercise tai chi, is a form of low to moderate intensity physical activity. Tai chi is a good example of both therapeutic exercise and a form of preparation for gentle hand-to-hand combat (especially as safe self-defence, also from the perspective of a potential aggressor) . In Chinese society, these forms of exercise are the primary means of preventive health, active lifestyle and, in a sense, conventional physiotherapy or even rehabilitation. Many schools of tai chi based on the same theoretical principles of exercise are still emerging in China. There are currently six main schools of tai chi and the mainstream is based on the styles; Chen, Yang, Sun, Hao, Wu and He. As a result of evolutionary, practice-based changes linked to traditional oriental medicine, the ai chi method has been popularised. Its core element is part of rehabilitation in water as a 'physical-mental' treatment. Combining the advantages of tai chi and hydropathy, ai tai chi has complementary advantages in terms of sensory stimulation (such as the ability to maintain balance, sense of movement, development of strength, proprioception etc.) and mental development resulting from the valuable practice of eastern hand-to-hand combat, which is generally recognised as kung fu (alternatively wu shu).Similar modifications of these systems of hand-to-hand combat and healing exercises are part of the methodological concept of INNOAGON (an acronym for innovative agonology). Its basic method is a complementary approach, with the main aim of strengthening all dimensions of health and survival from the micro to the macro scale. For many decades tai chi has been gaining popularity around the world, but has moved significantly away from its roots. Today, tai chi exercises seem to have lost the sense of martial training and are rather seen as three strands parallel to each other: sport, health and spiritual (i.e. related to mental health). It is precisely the philosophy of health characteristic of Chinese culture combined with the various styles of traditional kung-fu hand-to-hand combat that is a very important alternative to the pathologies of neo-gladiatorism. It comes close to fulfilling the social mission of INNOAGON, as does Japanese budo. These systems, in a sense, refer to the Greek philosophy of kalos kagatos. The methodological potential of INNOAGON makes intercultural dialogue over time (from the past, through the present towards the future), supported by a repeatedly verified practice with great health and personal security values, an important way of balancing the negative effects of the increasingly strong human coupling with the attractions of modern digital technology.
Artur Kruszewski, Marek Kruszewski, Elena Cherkashina, Ilia Cherkashin, Liu Siliang
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
INNOAGON generation born after 2025 – alternative recommended by science
Nowadays, generational changes are determined by technological advances. Generation Z is entering the labour market and is best positioned on the line between the virtual and real worlds. The Alpha generation, on the other hand, will soon be entering secondary schools, as they are technologically proficient and need to be online all the time. With them, a smartphone is only natural. The Beta generation people born after 2025 is approaching and will grow up with the advancement (but will that be development?) of artificial intelligence. It is assumed that this generation will work alongside robots and be shaped by digital interactions. Analysing these generational shifts, the visions of the future of the great futurists that have been disseminated in pop culture are getting increasingly real. Improving machines for the benefit of humanity, after which the machines gain ‘consciousness’ (but whether is it in human likeness?) and, towards freedom, begin to fight (start a war) against humanity. Is this a world that cannot be saved from inevitable degradation? A viable alternative to the Beta generation is the INNOAGON generation (this is an acronym for innovative agonology), presupposing the continuous development (i.e. a concern for exclusively positive change, or, alternatively, the slowing down of biologically determined involution phenomena) of body, mind and spirit, through the utilitarian values of humanity developed over centuries. But young people should not be educated without knowledge of their mental reality. Therefore, the responsibility for educating the next generation must be based on complementary observations of young people, in direct contact with them, technological support and understanding at the level of pop culture. There is a chance that interactions shaped in this way will enable the cognitive and behavioural development of humanity. The interdisciplinarity of science here is a mission for humanity.
Paweł Adam Piepiora
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Cognitive effects of using the modified fun forms of falling method in measuring the susceptibility to body injuries during a fall in children
The child's first experience in the development of his postural functions is a fall. At the core of this phenomenon is a loss of balance. Our previous findings have proven that in the course of motor activity of children aged 2 to 6, two-year-olds will make the fewest mistakes when falling and colliding with the ground. The fourth year of life is the moment when this number increases from year to year. The aim of the study is to recommend a modified fun forms of falling (FFF-M) method for children to diagnose susceptibility to body injuries during a fall (SFI). We examined 86 children (boys and girls) aged: 4 years (n = 22); 5- (n = 30); 6- (n = 34). A modification of the SFI research method based on fun forms of falling involves the introduction of three elements: (1) accurate recording of the duration of each FFF; (2) while playing 'puddle with obi' (obi means judo belt), subjective estimation of the force used (L-light, M-medium, H-high) - this is the conventional level B, i.e. the force causing the fall is located at the height of the center of gravity; (3) more accurate estimation of collision errors with the ground (supporting with hands, rolling onto the back, hitting the head). The shortest session lasted 14 minutes, the longest 30 minutes. Fun form at level ‘a’ (localization of force below the center of gravity) lasted the shortest (3 min), and at level ‘c’ (localization of force above the center of gravity or together with criteria ‘a’, but identical FFF) lasted the longest (19 min). During FFF at level ‘b’, medium use of force to throw the child off balance was predominant. Children from all age groups were most likely to make upper limb errors during FFF (on average: 16 four-year-olds; 20 five-year-olds, 24 six-year-olds). Head impacts were observed in 1 four-year-old, 3 five-year-olds, and 3 six-year-olds. One child from each age group made no mistakes (0%) during FFF, and one child made mistake every time (100%). The conjunction of the research results (duration of the session, subjectively estimated strength, accurate estimation of errors during a fall) with the directive to simplify the diagnosis authorizes the recommendation of FFF 'puddle with obi' as a sufficient criterion for diagnosing the SFI phenomenon in children from two to six years of age. However, the assumption should be made that the evaluation should be based on the results of careful observation of at least 5 child falls.
Bartłomiej Gąsienica Walczak, Judyta Zachwieja
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings