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Quantifying performance on an outdoor agility drill using foot-mounted inertial measurement units
Antonia M Zaferiou1,2, Lauro Ojeda1, Stephen M Cain1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America.
Plos One
|November 18, 2017
Summary
Researchers used foot-mounted sensors to measure running agility, finding that faster performance correlates with sharper turns and greater changes in body speed. This technology quantifies agility in realistic settings.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Analysis
Background:
- Agility, crucial for sports and physical tasks, is difficult to quantify accurately in game-like situations.
- Existing methods for measuring agility lack ecological validity, hindering performance analysis and training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define and measure agility performance in a military obstacle course using foot-mounted inertial measurement units (IMUs).
- To identify key performance metrics and differentiate strategies of high versus low agility performers.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-two athletes performed a five-cone agility drill wearing two IMUs on their shoes.
- Data from IMUs (acceleration, angular rates) were used to estimate foot trajectories, velocities, and body center of mass horizontal velocity.
- Four agility metrics were analyzed: drill time, horizontal body speed, turning radius, and tangential body acceleration.
Main Results:
- Shorter agility drill times were significantly associated with smaller turning radii and larger tangential acceleration ranges and body speeds.
- High performers exhibited sharper turns, greater speed fluctuations, and shorter footfall durations with larger ground reactions during turns.
- IMU data successfully quantified agility performance and revealed distinct movement strategies between skill levels.
Conclusions:
- Foot-mounted IMUs provide a valid and reliable method for quantifying agility performance in ecologically relevant settings.
- Agility is characterized by a combination of efficient turning, dynamic speed modulation, and optimized foot-ground interaction.
- This technology can enhance athlete assessment, training feedback, and performance analysis in various physical domains.
