Authors:
Paavo Nevalainen
1
;
Antti Kauhanen
2
;
Csaba Raduly-Baka
1
;
Mikko-Jussi Laakso
1
and
Jukka Heikkonen
1
Affiliations:
1
University of Turku, Finland
;
2
Sport Academy of Turku Region, Finland
Keyword(s):
Athletics, Swimming, Motion Tracking, Camera Calibration, Signal Smoothing, Movement Cycle Registration.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Applications
;
Cardiovascular Imaging and Cardiography
;
Cardiovascular Technologies
;
Computer Vision, Visualization and Computer Graphics
;
Health Engineering and Technology Applications
;
Human-Computer Interaction
;
Image and Video Analysis
;
Methodologies and Methods
;
Motion and Tracking
;
Motion, Tracking and Stereo Vision
;
Pattern Recognition
;
Physiological Computing Systems
;
Signal Processing
;
Software Engineering
;
Video Analysis
Abstract:
This paper proposes a digital camera based swimming analysis system for athletic use with a low budget. The
recreational usage is possible during the analysis phase, and no alterations of the pool environment are needed.
The system is of minimum complexity, has a real-time feedback mode, uses only underwater cameras, is flexible
and can be installed in many types of public swimming pools. Possibly inaccurate camera placement poses
no problem. Both commercially available and tailor made software were utilized for video signal collection
and computational analysis and for providing a fast visual feedback for swimmers to improve the athletic
performance. The small number of cameras with a narrow overlapping view makes the conventional stereo
calibration inaccurate and a direct planar calibration method is proposed in this paper instead. The calibration
method is presented and its accuracy is evaluated. The quick feedback is a key issue in improving the athletic
performance. We have deve
loped two indicators, which are easy to visualize. The first one is the swimming
speed measured from the video signal by tracking a marker band at the waist of the swimmer, another one is
the rudimentary swimming cycle analysis focusing to the regularity of the cycle.
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