Method and system for monitoring and feed-backing on execution of physical exercise routines

• US 9,011,293 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flow-Motion Research and Development, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Flow-Motion Research and Development, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shavit, Arie, Perl Shavit, Idit, Shavit, Alon
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, Loan H
• Assistant Examiner(s): GANESAN, SUNDHARA M
• Application Number:
  US13/359,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20120190505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 482/1, 482/5, 482 8- 9, 434/256, 434/257
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0015 Comparing movements or motion sequences with computerised simulations of movements or motion sequences, e.g. for generating an ideal template as reference to be achieved by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0647 Visualisation of executed movements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/068 Input by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0724 Bar-bells; Hand bars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/10 Positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/30 blood pressure A63B2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 : Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

A system for monitoring performance of a physical exercise routine comprises a Pilates exercise device enabling a user to perform the physical exercise routine, a plurality of motion and position sensors for generating sensory information that includes at least position and movements of a user performing the physical exercise routine; a database containing routine information representing at least an optimal execution of the physical exercise routine; a training module configured to separate from sensory information at least appearance of the Pilates exercise device, compare the separated sensory information to the routine information to detect at least dissimilarities between the sensory information and the routine information, wherein the dissimilarities indicate an incorrect execution of the physical exercise routine, the training module is further configured to feedback the user with instructions related to correcting the execution of the physical exercise routine by the user; and a display for displaying the feedback.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring performance of a physical exercise routine, comprising:

a Pilates exercise device enabling a user to perform the physical exercise routine, wherein the physical exercise routine is at least a Pilates exercise routine and wherein the Pilates exercise device is any one of;

a Reformer, a Pilates chair, and a Pilates Cadillac;

a plurality of motion and position sensors for generating sensory information that includes at least position and movements of a user performing the physical exercise routine on the Pilates exercise device;

a database containing routine information representing at least an optimal execution of the physical exercise routine;

a training module configured to separate from sensory information at least appearance of the Pilates exercise device, compare the separated sensory information to the routine information to detect at least dissimilarities between the sensory information and the routine information, wherein the dissimilarities indicate an incorrect execution of the physical exercise routine, the training module is further configured to output a feedback to the user with at least instructions related to correcting the execution of the physical exercise routine by the user and to automatically change a tension of the Pilates exercise device based on the feedback; and

a display for displaying the feedback.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the training module is further configured to identify the physical exercise routine being performed.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the sensory information and the routine information is represented using at least a skeletal model, wherein the skeletal model includes at least a list of joints, each joint is a connection of two adjacent body parts.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the training module is further configured to adjust at least viewing angle of the plurality of motion and movement sensors in order to track the various body parts participating in the physical exercises routing.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the training module is further configured to:

compute a base angle between two body parts connected to a joint, the base angles for all body parts of a physical exercise routine are part of the routine information;

compute a real-time angle between two body parts connected to a joint, the real-time angles for all body parts of a physical exercise routine are part of the sensory information;

compute the difference between the base angles and real-time angles of joints participating in the physical exercise routine;

compute a grading score based on the angles differences;

compare the grading score to a predefined threshold; and

generate the feedback based on a crossing of the predefined threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the grading score is computed as at least one of:

an absolute value of the angles differences, a normalized value of the real-time angles differences, a sum of the angles differences, and a weighed sum of the angles differences.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the training module is configured to separate from the sensory information at least the appearance of the Pilates exercise device by:

calculating relative angles between the sensors and a pre-defined point in the Pilates exercise device;

subtracting the base angles of the routine information from the relative angles; and

rotating the skeletal frames of the routine information angles difference between the base angle and the relative angle.

8. The system of claim 3, the training module is further configured to synchronize the sensory information and the routine information based, in part, on edge frames including start and end positions of the physical exercise routine.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the training module is further configured to track a rate of movements and to count a number of physical exercise routine repetitions.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the training module is further configured to calculate a number of burnt calories during the execution of the physical exercise routine.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the training module is configured to separate from the sensory information the appearance of the Pilates exercise device by:

capturing a calibration depth image including the Pilates exercise device without the user;

capturing a real-time depth image including the Pilates exercise device and the user; and

comparing, pixel-by-pixel, the real-time depth image to the calibration depth image, to extract all pixels from the real-time depth image that do not represent the user.

12. A method for monitoring performance of a physical exercise routine, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device including at least a processor, sensory information from a plurality of motion and position sensors configured to track position and movement of a user performing the physical exercise routine on a Pilates exercise device, wherein the Pilates exercise device is any one of;

a Reformer, a Pilates chair, and a Pilates Cadillac;

separating, by the computing device, from the sensory information at least appearance of the Pilates exercise device;

comparing, by the computing device, the separated sensory information to routine information stored in a database to detect dissimilarities between the separated sensory information and the routine information, wherein the dissimilarities indicate an incorrect execution of the physical exercise routine, wherein the routine information represents at least an optimal execution of the physical exercise routine; and

providing, by an output of the computing device, a feedback to the user, the feedback includes at least instructions related to correcting the execution of the physical exercise routine and changing a tension of the Pilates exercise device based on the feedback, wherein the physical exercise routine is at least a Pilates exercise routine.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprises:

identifying the physical exercise routine being performed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the sensory information and the routine information is represented using at least a skeletal model, wherein the skeletal model includes at least a list of joints, each joint is a connection of two adjacent body parts.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein comparing the separated sensory information to the routine information comprises:

computing a base angle between two body parts connected to a joint, the base angles for all body parts of a physical exercise routine are part of the routine information;

computing a real-time angle between two body parts connected to a joint, the real-time angles for all body parts of a physical exercise routine are part of the routine information;

computing the difference between the base angles and real-time angles of joints participating in the physical exercise routine;

computing a grading score based on the angles differences;

comparing the grading score to a predefined threshold; and

generating the feedback based on a crossing of the predefined threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein separating from the sensory information at least appearance of the Pilates exercise device by:

calculating relative angles between the sensors and a pre-defined point in the Pilates exercise device;

subtracting the base angles of the routine information from the relative angles; and

rotating the skeletal frames of the routine information angles difference between the base angle and the relative angle.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein separating from the sensory information at least the appearance of the Pilates exercise device by:

capturing a calibration depth image including the Pilates exercise device without the user;

capturing a real-time depth image including the Pilates exercise device and the user; and

comparing, pixel-by-pixel, the real-time depth image to the calibration depth image, to extract all pixels from the real-time depth image that do not represent the user.

18. A computer software product embedded in a non-transient computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed on the computer perform a process for monitoring performance of a physical exercise routine, the process comprises:

receiving, by a computing device including at least a processor, sensory information from a plurality of motion and position sensors configured to track position and movement of a user performing the physical exercise routine on a Pilates exercise device, wherein the Pilates exercise device is any one of;

a Reformer, a Pilates chair, and a Pilates Cadillac;

separating, by the computing device, from the sensory information at least appearance of the Pilates exercise device;

comparing, by the computing device, the separated sensory information to routine information stored in a database to detect dissimilarities between the separated sensory information and the routine information, wherein the dissimilarities indicate an incorrect execution of the physical exercise routine, wherein the routine information represents at least an optimal execution of the physical exercise routine; and

providing, by an output of the by the computing device, a feedback to the user, the feedback includes at least instructions related to correcting the execution of the physical exercise routine and changing a tension of the Pilates exercise device based on the feedback, wherein the physical exercise routine is at least a Pilates exercise routine.