CyberCoach: a Wearable Biofeedback System for Runners

Wearable technologies are increasingly being used to help runners improve their performance and reduce the risk of injuries. While off-the-shelf devices are typically limited to interval-based cueing and post training analysis, the emerging wearable biofeedback systems (WBSs) can provide closed-loop...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in2022 9th IEEE RAS/EMBS International Conference for Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob) pp. 1 - 6
Main Authors Gibson, Matthew R., Boergers, Richard J., Zanotto, Damiano
Format Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published IEEE 21.08.2022
Subjects
Biofeedback
Biomechatronics
Focusing
Gait Analysis
Human-in-the-loop Control
Instru-mented Footwear
Performance evaluation
Protocols
Real-time systems
Spatiotemporal phenomena
Training
Wearable Technology
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Summary:Wearable technologies are increasingly being used to help runners improve their performance and reduce the risk of injuries. While off-the-shelf devices are typically limited to interval-based cueing and post training analysis, the emerging wearable biofeedback systems (WBSs) can provide closed-loop feedback during training. However, most existing WBSs for run-ners are inaccurate for real-time spatiotemporal gait analysis, limited to temporal gait parameters, or not suitable for out-of-the-lab use. This paper introduces a novel WBS that leverages on-line gait analysis capabilities and continuous music modulation to elicit a target time-varying running speed on the wearer. We compared the effectiveness of two alternative auditory feedback strategies (play-back rate modulation - PRM, noise amplitude modulation - NAM) against a conventional training strategy (running watch discrete alarms - WA), in terms of stride-by-stride velocity errors in a group of competitive and recreational runners, using an out-of-the-lab High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) protocol. Results indicate that PRM and NAM may elicit significantly better adherence to both low and high-intensity target velocities compared to WA. NAM outperformed PRM in terms of velocity errors, but participants found the latter modality to be more enjoyable. Overall, these results highlight the potential of WBS and continuous music modulation as effective means to provide accurate, granular, and meaningful feedback to runners, and pave the way for future studies focusing on the long-term training effects of this technology.
ISSN:2155-1782
DOI:10.1109/BioRob52689.2022.9925510