Body Sensor Could Help Produce Sporting Champions
From: Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council - 09/13/2007

Imperial College London researchers are developing a sensor that can be worn
behind the ear to collect information on posture, stride length, step
frequency, acceleration, and response to shock waves during athletic training
sessions. The information can be automatically transmitted to a handheld
device or laptop used by a coach, who can use the data to create on-the-spot
advice and instructions, allowing for ultra-effective training sessions. "The
sensor we're working on is inspired by the semi-circular canals of the inner
ear, which play a key role in controlling our motion and balance," says
professor and project leader Guang Zhong Yang, a leading body sensor networks
researcher. The data generated provides an authentic and realistic indication
of how the athlete would perform without the sensor, which is often not the
case for other body sensors because they can be cumbersome and cause poor
performance, Yang says. The sensor could also be used to monitor patients
suffering from a variety of injuries or illnesses, and could help promote a
healthy lifestyle. The sensor could monitor patients with degenerative
arthritis or neurological gait abnormalities. The device could also be used
to create movement-based computer games and virtual reality-based sports
training. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PressReleases/LeadingEdgeBodySensor.htm

Links:
Guang Zhong Yang
http://ubimon.doc.ic.ac.uk/gzy/m365.html

Body Sensor Networks
http://www.amazon.com/Body-Sensor-Networks-M-Yacoub/dp/1846282721

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Body-Motion Sensor Could Boost Athletic Performance
From: NASA Tech Brief Insider - 09/19/2007

An unobtrusive sensor that collects and immediately transmits data from the
human body could boost athletic performance. Developed at Imperial College
London with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC) in the UK, the new sensor also has potential in healthcare. 

The sensor is the size of a cufflink and clips behind the wearer's ear, where
it gathers data about the athlete's motion: posture, stride length, step
frequency, acceleration, and response to shock waves traveling through the
body. When worn by an athlete during training, it transmits the data to a
handheld device used by a coach, who can give on-the-spot advice and
instruction regarding technique. 

The sensor is inspired by the semicircular canals of the inner ear, which
play a key role in controlling motion and balance, according to the
researchers. The sensor does not cause discomfort and, because it is worn
behind the ear, does not adversely affect aerodynamics. By contrast, body
sensors currently available are cumbersome to wear and the data cannot be
displayed in real time. 

The sensor could also have potential for use in monitoring patients with
degenerative arthritis or neurological gait abnormalities, as well as those
who have undergone orthopedic surgery. In the field of human/computer
interfacing, the device could be used to translate body movement and physical
exercise into computer games or virtual reality-based sports training.