Communications of the ACM
Video Game Technology Aids Horse Rider Assessment
Researchers who used inertial motion sensors to assess horse rider asymmetry found such asymmetry in all riders tested.
Credit: University of Sutherland
University of Sunderland researchers are using inertial motion sensors to assess horse rider asymmetry and how it is associated with lower back pain and injury risk.
"The incorporation of inertial motion sensors into a body-worn suit is an emerging technology, which provides a non-constraining alternative to video capture for motion analysis," says University of Sunderland senior lecturer Elizabeth Gandy. "Examples include medical research and applications within the video game and film industries."
The researchers evaluated the potential of the technology for rider assessment by analyzing 12 riders wearing motion-capture suits. The results showed the presence of asymmetry in all 12 riders, with up to 27 degrees difference between left and right hips, and 83 percent with greater external rotation of the right hip.
"This preliminary study has demonstrated that the use of the inertial motion sensor suit provides an efficient and practical method of assessing riders during a range of movements," Gandy says.
The researchers note the suit can be used in most environments, both internal and external, while previous technology at the university required three-dimensional motion-capture data to be recorded via a fixed cameras in a lab.
From University of Sunderland
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