A Sporting Chance

This article discusses using wireless sensors to improve sports training. One example of wireless sensors is inertial sensors that were first developed for automotive and military applications. They are tiny accelerometers and angular rate gyros that can be combined to form a complete inertial measurement unit. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) detects the three-dimensional motion of a body in space by sensing the acceleration of one point on the body as well as the angular velocity of the body. When this small, but rugged device is mounted on or embedded within sports gear, such as the shaft of a golf club, the IMU provides the essential data needed to resolve the motion of that equipment. This technology—and sound use of the theory of rigid body dynamics—is now being developed and commercialized as the ingredients in new sports training systems. It won’t be too long before microelectromechanical systems based hardware and sophisticated software combine to enable athletes at any level to get world-class training.