VibroTactile Feedback application for correcting and guiding posterior knee flexion during the loading phase of a baseball swing.

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: Vibrotactile feedback, sports, baseball swing, tactile feedback, Biofeedback, posture guiding

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005284

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