Contact Information
Quintic Consultancy Ltd.
Unit 8, The Courtyard, Roman Way
Coleshill, Birmingham
B46 1HQ, UK
+44(0)1676 530 730 | +44(0)1675 620 999
Be Part Of The Quintic Community…

RESEARCH ARTICLES

Quintic Portfolio

Linear acceleration measurement utilizing inter-instrument synchronization: A comparison between accelerometers and motion-based tracking approaches

 

Andrew J. Callaway a & Jon E. Cobb b (2012)
a Centre for Event and Sport Research, School of Tourism, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK, and SMART Technology Research Centre, Department of Engineering and Computing, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK
b SMART Technology Research Centre, Department of Engineering and Computing, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK

Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 16: 151–163.

 

Abstract:
Where as video cameras are a reliable and established technology for the measurement of kinematic parameters, accelerometers are increasingly being employed for this type of measurement due to their ease of use, performance, and comparatively low cost. However, the majority of accelerometer- based studies involve a single channel due to the difficulty associated with synchronizing multiple accelerometer channels. The authors of this article outline a method to synchronize multiple accelerometers using a maxima detection method. Results are presented that demonstrate the effectiveness of the new synchronization method with 52 of 54 recorded data sets showing no time
lag error and two tests showing an error of .04 sec. Inter-instrument and instrument-video correlations are all greater than r = .94 (p < .01), with inter-instrument precision (Root Mean Square Error; RMSE) ≈ .1 ms-2, demonstrating the efficacy of the technique. In conclusion, the new technique offers a robust solution, giving further support to the movement toward wider adoption of accelerometer – based performance measurement systems in sports science.

Callaway | Quintic Sports