RESEARCHERS AT University College Cork are working on the perfect Christmas present for next year, a device that can decode your golf swing.
Not only that, but the tiny matchbox-sized sensor can measure the G-force of a rugby tackle, the speed of an archery arrow, or the precision movements of a tennis ace.
The miniature wireless sensor network is being developed by a team of researchers at the Tyndall National Institute in partnership with University College Dublin and Dublin City University.
The research will benefit fitness and health professionals in the field of physiotherapy in particular, both nationally and internationally, Tyndall researcher Brendan O’Flynn said.
“The work is centred on the placing of networks of sensor systems on or around the body, gathering data about what the body is doing and how it is interacting with its environment,” he said.
The wireless chip can measure ECGs, heart and pulse rates and blood oxygen levels around the body to show which areas might be under specific strain.
“It will enable physiotherapists and sports scientists to evaluate in a scientific manner the performance of elite athletes and create personalised training regimes,” Mr O’Flynn said.
“It can show how a person is affected by fatigue and dehydration so professionals can monitor their fluid intake.”
The device could prove to be a dream for sports commentators, giving instant feedback on the rugby field for instance, measuring players’ speed or the G-force of an impact on the pitch.
Funded under the Clarity Programme by Science Foundation Ireland, the Wireless Wearable Inertial Measurement Systems device is capable of a measurement range and rate that exceeds any commercial solution currently available.