Machine Vision System Measures Swimmer Biomechanics

Athletes competing in a world swimming championship this week will have their biomechanical data captured by an advanced machine vision system from Allied Vision Technologies GmbH.

Swimming competitions of the 15th FINA World Swimming Championships, taking place in Barcelona from July 19-Aug. 4, will be monitored by an advanced image-processing system designed to capture biomechanical data of the athletes such as pass times and velocities, turns, stroke frequency and amplitude. The tool, called InThePool 2.0, will compile the data into reports to help teams and their trainers compare and analyze each swimmer’s performance. The data could also be used by television broadcasters to provide additional information to viewers.

The advanced image-processing system was designed and implemented by STT, a motion-capture technology company based in San Sebastian, Spain, using Germany-based Allied Vision Technologies’ (AVT) new Mako GigE Vision digital cameras for image capture. It was installed in the pool in Palau Sant Jordi, where the swimming and synchronized swimming competitions are being held.

InThePool 2.0 at the FINA World Championships includes digital cameras from AVT positioned above the pool to monitor the swimmers in each lane. Two rows of five cameras were necessary to capture images of eight lanes over the full length of the 50-m pool. The captured images are being processed in real time by STT’s InThePool software, which is connected to the official timing system.

The first version of the InThePool system was developed and installed for the 10th FINA World Championships in 2003, using four 25-Hz VGA color cameras, according to event organizers.

STT said it selected AVT Mako cameras with GigE Vision interface for the 2013 project because Gigabit Ethernet is the best-suited interface to bridge the long distances between the cameras on the ceiling of the hall and the host computers.

Also supporting the project is AVT partner and imaging specialist Infaimon.

For more information, visit: www.bcn2013.com or www.alliedvisiontec.com