Providing motion feedback based on user center of mass

• US 8,979,665 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.), Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
• Original Assignee: BioSensics, LLC (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Boloori, Ali-Reza, Najafi, Bijan, Wrobel, James Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): GALKA, LAWRENCE STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US13/053,147
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 473/266, 473/269
• US Class Current: 473/269
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0647 Visualisation of executed movements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/62 posture
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3608 Attachments on the body, e.g. for measuring, aligning, restraining A63B69/0059, A63B69/3673 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a body-worn sensor-based system for evaluating the biomechanics and the motor adaptation characteristics of postural control during a sport activity such as a golf swing. Various embodiments use sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers to measure the three-dimensional motion of ankle and hip joints. In several embodiments, additional sensors attached to other body segments are used to improve the accuracy of the data or detect particular instants during the swing (e.g., top of back swing, instant of the maximum speed of arm, and instant of ball impact). In a golf embodiment, the system combines the measured data in conjunction with a biomechanical model of the human body to: (1) estimate the two-dimensional sway of the golfer'"'"'s center of mass; (2) quantify and evaluate the golfer'"'"'s balance via his/her postural compensatory strategy; and (3) provide visual feedback to the golfer for improving dynamic postural control.

Claims

1. A method for providing data for use in displaying visual feedback for improving postural control and balance during a golf swing, comprising:

electronically receiving with one or more computing devices data collected from one or more sensors worn on a body of a person;

determining, with the one or more computing devices, one or more center of mass positions of the person based on the data collected from the one or more sensors, the data reflecting movement and position of the person while performing a golf swing;

generating first visual display data corresponding to a first visual indication reflecting said one or more determined center of mass positions;

generating second visual display data corresponding to a second visual indication reflecting a target center of mass position for the person that has been determined to contribute to a desired performance of the golf swing; and

providing the first and second visual display data for use in displaying the first and second visual indications to the person,

wherein the first and second visual indications enable the person to determine a difference between (1) at least said one or more center of mass positions of the person while performing the golf swing reflected by the first visual indication and (2) the target center of mass position reflected by the second visual indication, such that the person can improve golf swing performance by reducing said difference, and

wherein said one or more sensors comprise at least one of;

an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said target center of mass position that has been determined to contribute to the desired performance of the golf swing is determined based on data collected from the sensors when the person is in a standing position and not performing the golf swing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining one or more center of mass positions comprises:

segmenting the golf swing into a plurality of temporal phases;

wherein said determining, with the one or more computing devices, comprises calculating, for each temporal phase, an associated center of mass position of said one or more determined center of mass positions and wherein the first visual indication further reflects the associated center of mass position for each temporal phase to be compared with the target center of mass position that has been determined to contribute to the desired performance of the golf swing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the temporal phases comprise one or more of:

a back swing portion of the golf swing, a down swing portion of the golf swing, a top of the back swing, a time of contact with the ball, and a time at which an arm of the person has reached its maximum speed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said one or more sensors includes a sensor worn on the arm of the person and said temporal phases are determined based at least in part on data collected from said sensor worn on the arm.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the temporal phases comprise user-specified temporal phases.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining one or more center of mass positions is based on a single-link model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining one or more center of mass positions is based on a multiple-link model.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a non-linearity of the golf swing based on said one or more determined center of mass positions.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a deviation between one of said one or more determined center of mass positions and the target center of mass position that has been determined to contribute to the desired performance of the golf swing; and

normalizing said deviation by a maximum speed of an arm of the person during the golf swing.

11. A system for providing data for use in displaying visual feedback for improving postural control and balance during a golf swing, the system comprising:

a computing system configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors worn on a body of a person, the data reflecting movement and position of the person while performing a golf swing;

wherein the computing system is further configured to;

determine one or more center of mass positions of the person based on the data collected from said one or more sensors;

generate visual display data corresponding to a visual feedback on the golf swing, the visual feedback reflecting a difference between said one or more determined center of mass positions and a target center of mass position for the person that has been determined to contribute to the desired performance of the golf swing; and

provide the visual display data for use in displaying the visual feedback to the person,

wherein said one or more sensors comprise at least one of;

an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said target center of mass position that has been determined to contribute to the desired performance of the golf swing is determined based on data collected from said one or more sensors when the person is in a standing position and not engaged in the golf swing.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said computing system is configured to determine said one or more center of mass positions by at least:

segmenting the golf swing into a plurality of temporal phases; and

for each temporal phase, identifying an associated center of mass position of said one or more center of mass positions.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the temporal phases comprise one or more of:

a back swing portion of the golf swing, a down swing portion of the golf swing, a top of the back swing, a time of contact with the ball, and a time at which an arm of the person has reached its maximum speed.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said one or more sensors includes a sensor worn on the arm of the person and said temporal phases are determined based at least in part on data collected from said sensor worn on the arm.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said one or more sensors includes a sensor worn on the arm of the person and wherein speed of the arm is determined based at least in part on the data collected from said sensor worn on the arm.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said computing system is electrically connected to said one or more sensors.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said computing system is configured to receive the data collected from said one or more sensors wirelessly.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein said data collected from said one or more sensors is transmitted via a network to said computing system.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein said one or more sensors comprise sensors embedded in a mobile device carried by the person.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein said computing system is further configured to determine a non-linearity of the golf swing based on said one or more determined center of mass positions.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein said computing system is further configured to:

determine a deviation between one of said one or more determined center of mass positions and the target center of mass position that has been determined to contribute to the desired performance of the golf swing; and

normalize said deviation by a maximum speed of an arm of the person during the golf swing.

23. A method for providing data for use in presenting feedback for improving postural control and balance of a person engaged in a sport activity, the method comprising:

electronically receiving with one or more computing devices data collected from one or more sensors worn on a body of a person engaging in a sport activity;

determining, with the one or more computing devices, one or more center of mass positions of the person based on the data collected from the one or more sensors, the data reflecting movement and position of the person while performing the sport activity;

generating feedback data corresponding to feedback indicating a difference between said one or more determined center of mass positions and a target center of mass position determined based on sensor data received when the person is in a pre-defined position; and

providing the feedback data for use in presenting the feedback,

wherein said one or more sensors comprise at least one of;

an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said pre-defined position is specified by a user input.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said pre-defined position is a standing position and the person is not engaged in the sport activity.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein one of said one or more determined center of mass positions is determined when an arm of the person has reached maximum speed during the sport activity.

27. Non-transitory computer storage that stores executable code that directs a computing system to at least:

electronically receive by the computing system data collected from one or more sensors worn on a body of a person engaging in a sport activity;

determine, with the computing system, one or more center of mass positions of the person based on the data collected from the one or more sensors, the data reflecting movement and position of the person while performing the sport activity;

determine, with the computing system, a target center of mass position based on sensor data received when the person is in a standing position and not engaged in the sport activity;

generate indication data corresponding to an indication of a difference between said one or more determined center of mass positions and the target center of mass position; and

provide the indication data for use in presenting the indication, wherein said one or more sensors comprise at least one of;

an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer.