Sports Technology Research Articles

Disentangling assistive technology: exploring the experiences of athletes with physical impairments in disability sport

ABSTRACT The use of assistive technology (AT) in sport raises critical questions about disability, access, equity, and embodiment in culture and society. In this paper, we seek to provide some clarity on the various ways that disabled people use, interact with, and experience AT through engagement in disability sport. Using semi-structured interviews, this paper centralises the experiences of twelve athletes with different physical impairments as they use AT for sports participation. We highlight a diverse range of experiences, illustrating how ATs function to provide athletes with a sense of embodied freedom and (im)possibilities, as well as exploring the influence of AT on athletes’ construction of self and other. Finally, we provide some insight into the dimensions of access that are required to fully utilise AT in sport, specifically focusing on the process of learning to use and respond to AT. We envisage this paper may inform disability and AT scholars, advocates, and sports sociologists as they build on and extend empirical work and advocacy at the intersection of AT, disability, and sport.

Special issue on JSME symposium: Sports engineering and human dynamics

Special issue on JSME symposium: Sports engineering and human dynamics

Boxers' Intention to Use Smart Boxing Gloves in Training Using Industry 4.0 Sports Technology

Boxers' Intention to Use Smart Boxing Gloves in Training Using Industry 4.0 Sports Technology

The controversy and pragmatic resolution of the introduction of foot sensors in competitive race walking

The adoption of new technology can have a controversial or profound impact upon a sport and how it is performed. Recently, there have been proposals of the potential implementation of sensors in athletes’ footwear to help reduce illegal gait activity during competitive race walking events. This paper investigated the potential impact and implications with this technological introduction. This study utilises a previously peer-reviewed framework proposed for sports technology inclusion discourse and then applies it to the proposed use of foot sensors in race walking. Subsequent to undertaking further scientific inquiry to ascertain whether such technology would cause either significantly disproportionate performance enhancement or injury, it is ultimately proposed on balance that such sensors are appropriate for use in competitive race walking.

Umpiring Technology and Tactical and Strategic Privacy in Cricket

Each sport has an allotted area for innovative tactics and strategies, while some sports go beyond the sporting rules and regulations. The use of present-day technologies in sports has helped teams and management better understand their rivals’ strategies and tactics through tactical and strategic analysis, and the teams always look for such type of resources to prepare their teams accordingly. The use of sports technology at various levels, from training to officiating a match, itself might reveal a team’s tactics and strategies to its opponents and to a greater group, which could influence the team’s plan and the way it has been executed. For an instance, different umpiring technologies are used in the sports like cricket to execute the game in a fair manner. Imagine a scenario where umpiring technology invades the privacy of the players' tactics and strategies by disclosing them while officiating the game. In the meantime, the implementation of umpiring technology has not been investigated from the perspective of athletes’ tactical and strategic privacy. Therefore, this research paper aims to investigate the dimensions of umpiring technology in sports in relation to strategic and tactical privacy and to imply how the responsible uses of sports technology can be made for the betterment of overall sports. In the process, this research investigates concepts of strategy, tactics, and privacy in relation to pertinent ideas like gamesmanship in sports. Following that, these concepts are applied in a couple of cases in international cricket matches, demonstrating whether the sports technology can reveal a team’s tactical and strategic privacy to various parties. In a broader sense, this research can assist individuals in comprehending various aspects of using sports technology responsibly.

Examining the use of fitness apps in sports centers in Taiwan: incorporating task–technology fit into a technology readiness acceptance model

ABSTRACT Rationale/purpose This study analyzes users’ behavior intention to use fitness apps and adopts the technology readiness acceptance model (TRAM) to explore the effects of technology readiness (TR) and task–technology fit (TTF) in the context of using fitness apps. Design/methodology/approach We used a purposive sampling method, recruiting 328 consumers from six civil sports centers in Taiwan, and performed structural equation modeling (SEM) for the data analysis. Findings The results presented conclusive evidence that TR has a significant positive relationship with both perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU), while TTF only has a significant relationship with PU. The model was validated, contributing to the existing body of knowledge on sports technologies. Practical Implications In the promotion of technological applications, sports facility practitioners can target specific customer groups to develop precise marketing strategies. Research Contributions The integrated TRAM model shifts the emphasis on intelligent technology to the feature of consumers and sports contexts, making the research model more comprehensive to predict users’ intention toward fitness apps and prioritize the use of sport-related technology to optimize the application of technologies in the sports fields.

Pyjamas, Polysomnography and Professional Athletes: The Role of Sleep Tracking Technology in Sport.

Technological advances in sleep monitoring have seen an explosion of devices used to gather important sleep metrics. These devices range from instrumented 'smart pyjamas' through to at-home polysomnography devices. Alongside these developments in sleep technologies, there have been concomitant increases in sleep monitoring in athletic populations, both in the research and in practical settings. The increase in sleep monitoring in sport is likely due to the increased knowledge of the importance of sleep in the recovery process and performance of an athlete, as well as the well-reported challenges that athletes can face with their sleep. This narrative review will discuss: (1) the importance of sleep to athletes; (2) the various wearable tools and technologies being used to monitor sleep in the sport setting; (3) the role that sleep tracking devices may play in gathering information about sleep; (4) the reliability and validity of sleep tracking devices; (5) the limitations and cautions associated with sleep trackers; and, (6) the use of sleep trackers to guide behaviour change in athletes. We also provide some practical recommendations for practitioners working with athletes to ensure that the selection of such devices and technology will meet the goals and requirements of the athlete.

Use of Information Technology in Sports

Use of Information Technology in Sports

科技在体育运动应用中的伦理风险及对策

科技在体育运动应用中的伦理风险及对策

Presence of technology in sports

Presence of technology in sports

Role of new technologies innovation on sports achievement

New technologies have played a significant role in innovation and advancements in sports achievement. The use of new technologies has allowed athletes and coaches to monitor, analyze, and improve performance in ways that were previously not possible. Some examples of how new technologies have impacted sports achievement include Improved training, enhanced performance, advancements in equipment, increased fan engagement, data-driven decision making etc. New technologies have had a significant impact on sports achievement by helping athletes and teams to improve their performance, engage more fans, and make better decisions. Technology is a tremendous thing inside sport, it differs from mobile phones, televisions, sport equipments and more, there is no uncertainty that the significance of the utilization of technologies has expanded throughout the years, and from that point forward, sports have become a universally movement, so are the choice that can change the consequence of an occasion. In this manner, coaches and athletes must know about sport technologies, and settle on shrewd decisions about how it influences their performances. This article highlights the importance of new technologies in sports. These technologies have become increasingly popular in recent years and are used by many professional and elite-level athletes to improve their performance.

Unlocking the water retention behaviour of turf construction materials

Turf is not a material frequently associated with construction. However, as a cheap, easily available, and versatile material it was used in antiquity (and has been used in various contexts since) to form unit-based and mass walls, embankments, and ramparts. Some of the best-preserved evidence for historical turf use comes from the Roman period, when it was a mainstay of military construction, being widely used in forts (e.g. along the Rhine and in Britain) and large-scale linear earthworks, most notably thewalls of Hadrian (northern England) and Antoninus Pius (central Scotland). To our knowledge, turf has never been examined as a construction material; its interest has, until now, been restricted to the soil and agricultural sciences and sports engineering. This paper presents the first exploration of turf water retention properties, assessed to understand whether turf behaviour can be collated with that of more traditionalearthen materials, for example cob or rammed earth. Tensiometer and psychrometer methods were used to estimate the water retention curves of turf, representative of that used for construction, harvested from two sites near Crieff, Scotland. The obtained data were analysed in terms of unimodal type functions to understand qualities of the full range of the soil water retention curve for Scottish turf. This work supports a larger project examining how engineering materials principles can explain ancient construction practices. In so doing, we will be well positioned to reintroduce this low-carbon material to the modern construction market.

Retracted: Motion Video Image Based on Sensor and Multiprocessing Technology in Track and Field Sports

Retracted: Motion Video Image Based on Sensor and Multiprocessing Technology in Track and Field Sports

Application of Wearable Technology and Equipment in Sports

Application of Wearable Technology and Equipment in Sports

CARACTERÍSTICAS DO METABOLISMO E APTIDÃO FÍSICA EM JOGADORES DE TÊNIS DE MESA

ABSTRACT Introduction: The physical fitness of Chinese table tennis players is critical as the continuous development in sports technologies increases the demands for physical fitness during competitions. And the physical quality of table tennis players is a problem that cannot be ignored. Objective: Analyze the energy supply characteristics of table tennis and its special training methods based on the sport's temporal and spatial characteristics of the actual load. Methods: Sport performance is analyzed by the scoring system using video kinematic analysis, scientific literature research, and logical analysis methods. The research on energy supply in Chinese athletes according to the characteristics of the three energy metabolism systems is developed. Considering the different metabolic characteristics and physical content for a specific training protocol experiment. Results: Female table tennis players obtained significantly higher time, density, and hitting efficiency than male players (P<0.05). Table tennis is a sport that uses mainly aerobic energy, complemented by anaerobic exercises. Conclusion: Table tennis is a medium-intensity intermittent sport composed of short-term bursts with the ball and low-intensity activities without the ball. Competition in table tennis is based on aerobic energy delivery, with no oxygen-based movement. Athletes need to combine aerobic and anaerobic exercises during exercise. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

Analyzing sports technologies and trends in modern era

Analyzing sports technologies and trends in modern era

Wearable Sports Technology Development in Costa Rica: Inertial Measurement Unit Integration for Real-Time External Load Monitoring

The increasing trend and projection for the use of wearable sensors technology in the general population have led to the development of different inertial measurement units (IMU) to monitor activity and motion variables during exercise or sports. This study aims to systematize the practical experience of developing an inertial measurement device to quantify external load in real time for runners. This article shows the installed capacity of Costa Rican higher education institutions to integrate existing sensors available in the international market in a single device to program it and use it for different sport science purposes. Two scientific laboratories joined resources and integrated an interdisciplinary team composed of exercise physiologists, sports scientists, physiotherapists, and electromechanical engineers who globally faced the challenge of creating SafeRun IMU. In this case, an IMU was constructed with great success, capable of quantifying external load variables controlled from a mobile device in real-time. The results showed an acceptable agreement and reliability of the data extracted from the IMU. The information collected from this IMU could be used to control and quantify external load to develop or redirect exercise programming and prescription and prevent overuse injuries or physical overload conditions. This device differs from other existing ones due to its small size and portability, which benefits its commercialization and massification.

Editorial: Special issue on artificial intelligence technologies in sports and art data applications

Editorial: Special issue on artificial intelligence technologies in sports and art data applications

A Narrative Review of the Link between Sport and Technology

Background: Research on the application of technology in sports in Romania is completely lacking, and the existing studies at the international level have mainly been carried out in recent years. We considered it appropriate to highlight the best practice models of technology application in sports that can be multiplied, adapted, improved, and widely used. The paper aims to identify the use of technology and devices in sports, with an emphasis on their role in training and competitions with the aim of improving sports performance, to provide sports specialists, organizations, and authorities with a wide range of information regarding the connection between sport and technology. The results obtained regarding the application of technology in sports refer mainly to the following: techniques and technologies used in training and competition (portable localization technology and global positioning systems (GPS); Virtual Reality (VR) technology; video analysis; digital technologies integrated into sports training); aspects of sports training targeted through the use of technology (use of technology for athlete health, recovery, and injury management; use of technology for monitoring sports performance and various body indicators); training optimization and ecological dynamics and the sustainable development of sports. Conclusions: Unitary research, at a European or even global level, in a uniform theoretical and practical framework, could lead to much more efficient training with large increases in sports performance. The coaches and specialists working with the athlete determine the specificity of some elements of the training, depending on the characteristics of each athlete. Large clubs could become a factor in generating and disseminating knowledge related to training and competition monitoring, sports performance enhancement, and health, recovery, and injury management. Research directions for the use of technology in sport and the formation of connections with other fields can be extended. For example, combined technologies assisted by specialized software can be used. Creativity must be the starting point for the use and combination of existing technologies in sports and for the creation of new ones. Their creation and use involve the teamwork of athletes, coaches, and specialists from different fields, such as sports, physiology, psychology, biomechanics, informatics, etc.

Enhancing Fan Engagement in a 5G Stadium With AI-Based Technologies and Live Streaming

We participated in Taiwan's National Intercollegiate Athletic Games (NIAG) in early May 2021, and formed a Sport Technology Team of more than 30 scholars, students, and engineers to provide novel systems and solutions that make the athletic games rich in sport technologies. Some of the features could be the first time shown to the Internet audience for large-scale athletic games. The technologies involved include table tennis ball trajectory and bounce distribution, badminton shuttlecock tracking and trajectory, <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">augmented-reality</i> enriched video streaming on social networks, real-time three-dimensional broadcasting with free view-angle, in-stadium video stream pushing by a private fifth-generation (5G) network with <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">multiaccess edge computing</i> , AI-based sport data analytics during live streaming, etc. All the technologies and applications are integrated in a novel <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">technology-enhanced broadcasting system</i> (TEBS) that is dedicated to sport events. This article introduces the respective technologies that we have developed, deployed, and demonstrated in the 2021 NIAG. We stress the layered architecture design and integration of the TEBS, as well as experimental results from real games in the smart stadium and swimming pool. We also discuss the technical challenges and our approaches to tackle them, as well as lessons learned.