WO2024005183A1

WO2024005183A1 - Running form assessment system, program, and method

Info

Publication number: WO2024005183A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/024351
Authority: WO
Inventors: 邦彦加地
Original assignee: リオモインク
Priority date: 2022-07-01
Filing date: 2023-06-30
Publication date: 2024-01-04
Also published as: JP2024006322A

Abstract

[Problem] To detect the timing and the degree of extension of a hip joint in a running motion and to analyze a running form in detail in an advanced manner. [Solution] The present invention comprises: a plurality of body motion sensors 40a, 40b that are mounted on femoral regions of a wearer and that can detect three-dimensional displacement or rotation at respective sites; a contact-separation state detection unit 117c that detects ground separation of each of the legs of the wearer on the basis of detection results, and extracts, as contact-separation data, each detection result concerning the detected ground separation; an index calculation unit 117g that, from the contact-separation state data extracted by the contact-separation state detection unit 117c, calculates an index for assessing a running form on the basis of motion following the ground separation of each of the legs involved in said ground separation; and an output device for displaying or outputting said index.

Description

Running form evaluation system, program and method

The present invention relates to a system, program, and method for evaluating running form using analysis of hip joint extension.

Conventionally, in motion analysis in running competitions, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, athletes wear acceleration sensors on their bodies and measure their body movements, replacing measurements using floor reaction force meters. Attempts have also been made. In the motion analysis system disclosed in Patent Document 1, a motion analysis device has an inertial measurement unit (IMU) built into the subject's torso (for example, the right hip, left hip, or the center of the waist). Wearing the test subject, it captures the subject's movement while running (including walking), calculates speed, position, attitude angle (roll angle, pitch angle), etc., and also analyzes the subject's movement and calculates the subject's running state ( After calculating various types of driving information), changing points in driving conditions are detected, and motion analysis information, which is driving information including changing points in driving conditions, is generated.

According to the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, characteristic points such as landing, stepping, and take-off in the subject's running motion can be detected. Specifically, landing is detected at the timing when the vertical acceleration (detected value of the z-axis of the acceleration sensor) changes from a positive value to a negative value, and after landing, the vertical acceleration peaks in the negative direction. Thereafter, it is possible to detect the depression at the time when the forward direction acceleration reaches a peak, and to detect the takeoff (kick off) at the time when the vertical direction acceleration changes from a negative value to a positive value.

By the way, in running motion, the swinging of the thighs is one of the important factors. In this thigh swing, by quickly swinging the thigh back forward, you can efficiently prepare for the next landing. Generally speaking, kicking the leg backwards will not progress even if you kick it in the air, so it is thought that the leg should swing forward immediately after taking off the ground, and kicking the leg backwards after taking off the ground. In track and field terminology, this movement is described as ``the legs flowing,'' and is recognized as a wrong movement.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-143537

However, in reality, even top athletes do not swing their legs forward immediately after take-off, but always move backwards, and when looking at the time and angle from take-off to swing, they are significantly different from amateur athletes. It was found that there was no difference; in fact, elite athletes moved longer and larger than amateur athletes, in other words, they sometimes flowed.

When evaluating running form, the present inventor focused on "extension of the hip joint" as an important factor from the time the leg takes off the ground to the start of forward swing, and by detecting the degree of extension of the hip joint, the above-mentioned "leg extension" We believe that it is possible to analyze the evaluation target of ``flowing'' in a more advanced and detailed manner. In addition, the hip joint is one of the joints in which large human muscles are concentrated and is considered to be a very important joint in running motions. For example, it is considered that an element of correct running form is to run fast by quickly and greatly extending the hip joints immediately after landing, and for this purpose, the movement before hitting the ground is extremely important, raising the thighs high and We believe that by swinging back and bringing the lower part of the knee back close to the body, the kinetic energy of the entire leg extended forward can be increased, and by hitting the ground, a large reaction force can be obtained, which can be converted into propulsive force. It will be done.

On the other hand, as in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, simply detecting landing etc. at the timing when the vertical acceleration (detection value of the z-axis of the acceleration sensor) changes from a positive value to a negative value does not solve the problem described above. It cannot be properly evaluated as ``extension of the hip joint,'' and it can be said that it is insufficient for evaluating efficient running form.

Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a running form evaluation system, program, and method that can detect the degree and timing of hip joint extension and analyze running form more highly and precisely. The purpose is to provide.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention is as follows:
It is a system that detects the wearer's body movements and evaluates running form based on changes in body movements.It is attached to each of the wearer's legs and thighs, and measures the three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part. Based on the detection results from multiple detectable body movement sensors and a pair of body movement sensors, the wearer's leg separation is detected, and each detection result related to the detected separation is extracted as contact/separation state data. a contact/separation state detection unit; and an index calculation unit that calculates an index for evaluating the running form based on the behavior of the leg related to the takeoff after taking off from the ground, from the contact/separation state data extracted by the contact/separation state detection unit; , and an output device that displays or outputs the index calculated by the index calculation unit.

The present invention also provides a method for detecting body movements of a wearer and evaluating running form based on changes in body movements, comprising:
(1) A plurality of body movement sensors capable of detecting three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part are attached to each of the wearer's legs and thighs, and the contact/separation state detection section is based on a pair of body movement sensors. a contact/separation state detection step of detecting the grounding of the wearer's leg based on the detection results, and extracting each detection result related to the detected grounding/separation as contact/separation state data;
(2) Index calculation in which the index calculation unit calculates an index for evaluating running form from the contact/separation state data extracted in the contact/separation state detection step, based on the behavior of the leg related to the takeoff after takeoff. step and
(3) An output step in which the output device displays or outputs the index calculated by the index calculation unit.

In the above invention, the index calculation unit uses the contact/separation state data to calculate the timing at which the angular acceleration of the leg related to takeoff is reversed and the residence time of the leg before and after that timing as hip joint extension information, and It is preferable to calculate the index based on the behavior of the leg after takeoff, which includes information.

In order to solve the above problem, the second invention is as follows:
It is a system that detects the wearer's body movements and evaluates running form based on changes in body movements.It is attached to each of the wearer's legs and thighs, and measures the three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part. The landing state of the wearer's legs is detected based on the detection results from multiple detectable body motion sensors and a pair of body motion sensors, and each detection result related to the detected landing state is extracted as contact/separation state data. a landing state detection unit; an index calculation unit that calculates an index for evaluating running form based on the behavior of the leg related to the landing before landing from the contact state data extracted by the contact state detection unit; and an output device that displays or outputs the index calculated by the unit.

The present invention also provides a method for detecting body movements of a wearer and evaluating running form based on changes in body movements, comprising:
(1) A plurality of body movement sensors capable of detecting three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part are attached to each of the wearer's legs and thighs, and the contact/separation state detection section is based on a pair of body movement sensors. a contact/separation state detection step of detecting landing of the wearer's leg based on the detection results and extracting each detection result related to the detected landing as contact/separation state data;
(2) an index calculation step in which the index calculation unit calculates an index for evaluating the running form from the contact/separation state data extracted in the contact/separation state detection step, based on the behavior of the leg related to the landing before landing; ,
(3) An output step in which the output device displays or outputs the index calculated by the index calculation unit.

In the above invention, the index calculation unit calculates, as hip joint extension information, the change in angular velocity of the leg related to landing immediately before landing, using the contact/separation state data, and Preferably, the index is calculated based on the behavior.

Note that the system and method according to the present invention described above can be realized by executing the program of the present invention written in a predetermined language on a computer. Such a program of the present invention is installed on an IC chip or memory device of a general-purpose computer such as a mobile terminal device, a smartphone, a wearable terminal, a tablet PC or other information processing terminal, a personal computer or a server computer, and executed on the CPU. By doing so, it is possible to construct a system having each of the above-mentioned functions and implement the method according to the present invention.

As described above, in the first invention, body movement sensors attached to the thighs of both legs of the wearer detect the take-off of the wearer's legs, and the behavior of the legs after the take-off is detected. Calculate an index to evaluate running form based on.

One of the important elements in the running motion is the swing of the thighs, and by quickly swinging the thighs that have been kicked backwards back forward, you can efficiently prepare for the next landing. In the present invention, a body motion sensor detects when a wearer's leg leaves the ground, and analyzes the extension of the hip joint based on the behavior of the leg after the leg takes off the ground. The inventor discovered that the kicking leg moves backward in the air and stabilizes the pelvis, causing the hip joint to extend, which stretches the muscles and tendons inside the hip joint, causing a reflex called an extensile contraction. I thought that the legs would be swung forward very efficiently. According to the present invention, by using a body motion sensor attached to the thigh, it is possible to measure the degree of extension of the hip joint, quantify the evaluation target of so-called "leg movement", and analyze it more highly and precisely.

To be more specific, in this embodiment, in order to quantify the degree of extension of the hip joint, the residence time before and after the leg kicks backward is measured. By using Gyr, a fetal movement sensor attached to the thigh, we analyze the movement of the thigh before and after the moment when the leg kicks backwards and switches to swinging out.

Amateur runners tend to move very smoothly into a swinging motion without stopping. On the other hand, in elite runners, movements such as Gyr stopping near zero or moving backwards again after stopping are detected. This is thought to be due to the rotation of the lower part of the knee, and in either case, it is thought to be the result of trying to extend the hip joint more forcefully or as a result of the hip joint being extended more strongly.

In this embodiment, the degree of extension of the hip joint is evaluated by measuring the dwell time near the zero cross of the thigh using Gyr, a body motion sensor attached to the thigh, and comparing the measured dwell time with a threshold value. The dwell time threshold setting can be selected and changed according to user operations, and evaluation indicators such as comparisons between amateur and elite runners are output.

On the other hand, in the second invention, the landing of the wearer's legs is detected by a body motion sensor attached to each of the wearer's thighs, and the running form is evaluated based on the behavior of the legs before landing. Calculate the index for

To be more specific, the hip joint is one of the joints in which large human muscles are concentrated and is considered to be a very important joint in running motions, and by quickly and greatly extending the hip joint immediately after landing, it is possible to run faster. is considered an element of proper running form. For this purpose, the movement before touching the ground is very important. By raising the thigh high, swinging back sharply, and swinging the lower part of the knee back close to the body, the kinetic energy of the whole leg that was brought forward is increased and It is believed that this collision generates a large reaction force that can be converted into propulsive force, and many short-distance athletes conduct various types of training for this purpose. On the other hand, athletes with low technique tend to stop swinging their thighs just before landing and land softly, and in such a landing, the kinetic energy of the entire leg is The reaction force from the ground will decrease, leading to a form that sinks a lot or a form that is inefficient.

In the present invention, the timing of landing is measured by a body motion sensor attached to the thigh, and the change in angular velocity immediately before landing is calculated as hip joint extension information. The timing of deceleration of the thighs is greatly affected by the swinging of the lower part of the knee, and the lowering of the thigh and the lower part of the knee move as a double pendulum in opposite directions, causing a deceleration movement of the thigh. Regarding this, athletes with low skill will stop or significantly slow down the movement of their thighs at this point before landing. In other words, he stopped his thighs and fell and landed. In contrast, skilled athletes minimize deceleration, accelerate again, and land while swinging their thighs at high speed. In the present invention, a body motion sensor measures the angular velocity from the swing down of the leg to the landing, evaluates the waveform, and evaluates the grouping based on the waveform and the velocity immediately before landing.

As a result of the above, according to the present invention, it is possible to detect the degree and timing of extension of the hip joint in a running motion, and to analyze running form more highly and precisely.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing how the running form evaluation system according to the embodiment is used. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of parameters detected by a sensor used in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of each device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing a running form evaluation method according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing motion analysis processing according to the embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a part of body motion reproduction data (R_Thing-AccZ and L_Thing-AccZ) acquired in the embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a part of body movement reproduction data acquired in an embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a part of body movement reproduction data acquired in an embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a part of body movement reproduction data acquired in an embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a part of body movement reproduction data acquired in an embodiment.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to motion analysis of a running competition using the information terminal device 100, and a running form evaluation system that enables coaching regarding training for a running competition is provided. The embodiments described below are intended to exemplify a device for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention is based on the material, shape, structure, etc. of each component. The placement etc. are not specified as below. The technical idea of this invention can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims.

(Configuration of running form evaluation system)
FIG. 1 shows how a running form evaluation system using an information terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment is used, and FIG. 2 shows an overview of parameters detected by the sensor according to the present embodiment. Further, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of each device. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the running form evaluation system according to the present embodiment includes an information terminal device 100 used by a wearer 1, and an information terminal device 100 worn on both thighs of the wearer 1. body movement sensors 40 (40a and 40b) that are wirelessly connected to each other.

In this system, these body movement sensors 40 are used to perform motion analysis in running competitions, detect the degree and timing of hip joint extension, analyze running form more highly and precisely, and provide indicators for evaluation. This index is obtained by referring to the accumulated index data. In this embodiment, an index to be evaluated is determined by referring to index data based on a value related to hip joint extension acquired from body movement data.

(Configuration of each device)
The specific internal configuration of each device constituting this system will be described below.

(1) Body Movement Sensor The body movement sensors 40a and 40b are a pair of sensors that are attached to both the left and right thighs of the wearer 1 and detect three-dimensional displacement or rotation in each thigh. In this embodiment, the body motion sensors 40a and 40b are attached to the front surfaces of the left and right thighs of the wearer. These body motion sensors 40a and 40b are equipped with a 3-axis accelerometer that measures the acceleration of an object, a 3-axis gyroscope that detects the angular velocity of the object, and a 3-axis magnetic sensor that measures the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field. Movement of the axis can be detected.

As shown in FIG. 3, these body motion sensors 40 (each body motion sensor 40a and 40b) each have a wireless communication section. This wireless communication unit has an internal antenna, and has a function to execute a data communication protocol for short-range wireless communication using BTLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy, Bluetooth (registered trademark) 4.0), etc. 100 and communication processing is possible. Note that in this embodiment, the wireless communication unit of each body motion sensor 40 employs BTLE as a protocol for low power consumption communication, but it is also possible to employ, for example, ANT, ANT+, etc. Ordinary Bluetooth (registered trademark) may also be used.

In addition, in this embodiment, the system can basically be constructed within the range of short-range wireless communication between the information terminal device 100 and the body movement sensor 40, and the server etc. on the communication network can be constructed. The system is not connected during actual measurements, and can be operated offline as a standalone system.

(2) Information terminal device FIG. 3 shows the internal configuration of the information terminal device according to this embodiment. The information terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment is a small terminal device such as a smartphone, and may be a general rectangular terminal device, such as a wearable terminal such as a wristwatch, a stationary type, a bicycle handle, etc. Various forms can be adopted, such as a mount type. Note that this information terminal device may be stored in a storage device such as a bag when only recording body movement data while driving.

Specifically, the information terminal device 100 includes a wireless interface 113, a control unit 117, a memory 114, an output interface 111, and an input interface 112, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the information terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment has a function of collecting detection results detected by each body movement sensor 40, and performs communication processing with each body movement sensor 40 through the wireless interface 113. Detection results from each body movement sensor 40 can be obtained. The memory 114 of the information terminal device 100 functions as a body movement recording unit that records detection results by the body movement sensor 40 as body movement data. Here, body movement data is primary data detected by various sensors, and body movement reproduction data is secondary data that records and analyzes this body movement data, extracts necessary information, and corrects it. be.

Note that sensor identification information for identifying each body movement sensor 40 is added to the detection results transmitted from each body movement sensor 40, and the identification information is accumulated in the memory 114 of the information terminal device 100. When the control unit 117 obtains the detection result from the wireless interface 113, it is possible to determine from which body movement sensor 40 the detection result is obtained. Note that this identification information includes attachment site information that specifies the attachment site of each sensor, and based on this attachment site information, it is possible to calculate body movement reproduction data. Furthermore, the body movement data also includes time information when the detection results were acquired from each body movement sensor 40.

The wireless interface 113 is a module that controls the transmission and reception of various information via a communication network and short-range wireless communication such as WiFi and Bluetooth (registered trademark), and communicates with each body motion sensor 40 using various protocols. Also, data is sent and received with the server device, etc., using 3G communication. Further, the information terminal device 100 includes an output interface 111 and an input interface 112. The input interface 112 is a device for inputting user operations, such as a mouse, keyboard, operation button, or touch panel. Furthermore, the output interface 111 includes devices that output video and audio, such as a display and a speaker. In particular, this output interface 111 includes a display section such as a liquid crystal display, and this display section is superimposed on a touch panel that is an input interface.

The display unit connected to the output interface 111 is an output device that displays or outputs the analysis results for the body movement reproduction data, and displays the display information generated by the display information generation unit 117e through the output interface 111. The palm on this display unit is displayed on a display built into the information terminal device 100 or an external display connected to the outside.

On the other hand, the input interface 112 may be provided with a video acquisition section. This video acquisition unit is a device that captures and records video data of the wearer's body movements, and is realized by a general camera built into a smartphone, for example, and allows the wearer to take pictures of himself or herself. In addition to checking form, etc., it is also used to synchronize body movement data acquired by sensors and videos captured by cameras, as described later. The video data acquired here includes video data in which the video is recorded, audio data recorded with the video, and metadata such as time stamps such as shooting time, end time, and elapsed time.

A built-in camera 115 built into the information terminal device 100 and an external external camera can be connected to the input interface 112, and video data shot by these shooting means is acquired and stored in the memory 114. Or, it is subjected to processing in the control unit 117. In addition to streaming data that is acquired sequentially in real time during shooting, the video data acquired from external cameras also includes video data that is acquired by downloading video data in file format that has been recorded and stored with external cameras after shooting. included.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the information terminal device 100 has a function of analyzing the body movement of the wearer and generating body movement reproduction data based on the body movement data acquired from each sensor. Specifically, the information terminal device 100 includes a control unit 117, as shown in FIG. be. Note that each function of the information terminal device 100 is virtually constructed on the control unit 117 by executing the running form evaluation program of the present invention in the control unit 117. To be more specific, the control unit 117 virtually controls the body movement data acquisition unit 117a, the body movement calculation unit 117b, the analysis unit 117f, and the display information generation unit 117e by executing the running form evaluation application. Constructed.

The body movement data acquisition unit 117a is a module that acquires and records body movement data from each body movement sensor 40 via the wireless interface 113, and in this embodiment, wirelessly communicates with each body movement sensor 40a and 40b. and obtain body movement data that is the result of these detections. The body movement data acquisition unit 117a functions as a body movement data recording unit, and temporarily stores body movement data in the memory 114, and stores each detection result by the body movement sensor 40 in the body movement calculation unit 117b. or send it to.

The body movement calculation unit 117b calculates body movement data, which is the detection result of the body movement sensors 40a and 40b, stored in the memory 114, which is a body movement recording unit, such as the displacement and rotation of each body movement sensor 40a and 40b, and the like. This module calculates the wearer's body movements as body movement reproduction data based on acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, etc. Here, the body motion data that is each detection result by the body motion sensor 40 is a value measured by a so-called 9-axis sensor, and in this embodiment, the body motion data is a value measured by a so-called 9-axis sensor. These are the size, the angular velocity of the object (size, direction, center position), and the size and direction (direction) of the magnetic field.

The body movements calculated here include the rotation of both left and right thighs around the hip joints during running, vertical, horizontal, and front-back movement and acceleration, the angular velocity of rotation, and temporal changes in this angular velocity. This includes the smoothness of the change. To be more specific, in this embodiment, the body motion sensors 40a and 40b are attached to the left and right thighs, and as shown in FIG. This is an exercise for the thighs.

In this embodiment, the body movement calculation unit 117b calculates the body movement of the wearer based on the body movement data that is each detection result by the body movement sensor 40 and the relative displacement and rotation between the body movement sensors. Calculate as reproduction data. Specifically, the body motion calculation unit 117b calculates the relative displacement, velocity, acceleration, and rotation (angular momentum) between each body motion sensor 40 based on the three-dimensional coordinates, velocity, and acceleration of each body motion sensor 40. Based on this, body movement reproduction data is calculated based on the locus of displacement (body movement) of each body part.

To be more specific, the body movement calculation unit 117b first performs a process of detecting feature points of the wearer's running using body movement data that is the detection result of the body movement sensors 40a and 40b. The characteristic points of the wearer's running are the parts of the data corresponding to the detected values, changes thereof, and times (times) that indicate characteristic behavior detected by the body motion sensor, such as landing, stepping, takeoff, etc. Examples include changes in acceleration based on the characteristic body movements of the wearer. Further, the body movement calculation unit 117b performs processing to calculate each value of the ground contact time and the impact time based on the timing of the detected feature point. Specifically, the ground contact time and impact time are calculated from calculated data including feature points, based on the length of time the value lasts and the rate of change within a certain unit time, based on the timing at which the feature point was detected. Calculate each value.

In this embodiment, the body movement calculation unit 117b includes a reference value setting unit 117d that sets a stable reference value for evaluating the reproducibility of body movement based on body movement reproduction data, a pair of body movement sensors 40a, and The contact/separation state detection section 117c detects the contact/separation state of the wearer's legs based on the detection result by the wearer 40b.

The reference value setting unit 117d sets the index calculation unit 117g to a value selected from the average value, maximum value, minimum value, or any representative value within a predetermined period based on the setting operation by the wearer 1 as the reference value. Set. In setting this reference value, for example, the same action is repeated several times at predetermined time intervals, and in addition to the average value, minimum value, and maximum value, the value at the time when wearer 1 considers it to be the best is set as the ideal value. It can be a value. In addition, this embodiment is equipped with a database in which reference values of others (many other users, advanced users, professionals, etc.) are linked and accumulated with body movement reproduction data, and ideal values for advanced users and professionals are stored. You can also call up any numerical value from the database and set it.You can also search for body movement reproduction data similar to the input body movement reproduction data and call up the reference value linked to that body movement reproduction data. It can be set in the reference value setting section 117d.

The contact/separation state detection unit 117c detects the contact/separation state of the landing and separation of the wearer's legs based on the detected feature points, and converts each detection result related to the detected contact/separation state into contact/separation state data. This is the module to extract as. To be more specific, the approach/separation state detection unit 117c in this embodiment detects detection values and changes thereof that indicate characteristic behavior based on detection values (body movement data) of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor that constitute a body movement sensor, for example. , detect feature points based on time (time), and use that timing as a reference to calculate the temporal state of being in contact with the ground or not in contact with the ground according to the contact time and impact time, their rate of change, and periodicity. The range is specified, and a flag is set for data for a length of time included in the range specified as the contact/separation state. The data with this flag set is extracted as contact/separation state data, and the analysis unit 117f generates body movement reproduction data including this contact/separation state data.

The body movement data acquired by the body movement calculation unit 117b described above is input to the analysis unit 117f, and based on relative displacement, velocity, acceleration, angular velocity, etc., the momentary movement data of the left and right thighs of the wearer 1 is calculated. Body motion reproduction data is generated from the relative displacement (distance and rotation) of the body and the relative rotational movement of the back and main parts. The analysis unit 117f then uses these primary data such as body movement data and contact/separation state data, and secondary data such as body movement reproduction data to evaluate running form based on body movement timing, posture collapse, etc. do.

To be more specific, the analysis unit 117f is a module that analyzes each element of the body movement of the wearer 1 item by item based on body movement data, contact/separation state data, and body movement reproduction data. In this embodiment, the analysis unit 117f acquires the threshold value from the reference value setting unit 117d and analyzes the reproducibility of the body movement, and also calculates the mutual angular velocity change of each thigh extracted by the body movement calculation unit 117b. It functions as a characteristic analysis section that analyzes the amplitude and fluctuation characteristics of vibration, and the characteristics analyzed here are expressed as a waveform on a timeline defined by amplitude - time, and the After performing processing such as synchronizing with recorded video data, the information is displayed or output on an output device via the display information generation unit 117e.

Note that other analysis methods by the analysis unit 117f may include generating three-dimensional data that displays the wearer 1 three-dimensionally, or generating two-dimensional data projected on the XY plane. It may also be something that generates data. For example, by extracting model body movement data from the memory 114 in which model body movement data is stored and comparing it with the wearer's body movement reproduction data, deviations from normal body movements can be detected. The improvement data shown may be generated. Furthermore, by registering user information such as gender, height, weight, age, etc. in advance, analysis may be performed based on each user information. Then, the analysis unit 117f transmits the analysis results such as the stereoscopic image data and the improvement data to the information terminal device 100.

The analysis unit 117f includes an index calculation unit 117g as a module related to running form evaluation processing, and this index calculation unit 117g includes a residence time calculation unit 117h and a hip extension information generation unit 117i.

In this embodiment, the index calculation unit 117g is a module that calculates an index for evaluating running form based on the contact/separation state data extracted by the contact/separation state detection unit 117c, and calculates an index for evaluating the running form based on the contact/separation state data. The running form is evaluated based on the behavior after take-off or the behavior of the legs before landing. The residence time calculation unit 117h uses the approach/separation state data to calculate the timing at which the leg related to takeoff is switched, that is, the timing at which the angular acceleration of the leg is reversed, and the residence time of the leg before and after that timing. It is a module. The residence time calculated here is passed to the hip joint extension information generating section 117i and generated as hip joint extension information.

The hip extension information generation unit 117i generates the retention time of the leg before and after the switchback timing calculated by the retention time calculation unit 117h as hip joint extension information, and generates the leg retention time after the take-off including this hip joint extension information. An index for evaluating running form is calculated based on the behavior in . The hip joint extension information generation unit 117i uses the contact/separation state data to calculate the change in angular velocity of the leg related to landing immediately before landing as hip joint extension information, and calculates the change in angular velocity of the leg related to landing immediately before landing, including the hip joint extension information, before landing of the leg related to landing. It also has the ability to calculate indicators based on behavior.

Note that the index calculation unit 117g evaluates the running performance of the run on the date selected by the wearer, and generates information on the evaluation results, and indicators related to coaching such as how to improve running style, how to shorten time, and training guidance. . The index calculation unit 117g uses various exercise information stored in the memory 114 to compare and analyze the wearer's past running results, or compares and analyzes the wearer's past running results with other wearers. It is possible to compare and analyze the running results of other people and include comparative analysis information, which is information on the analysis results, in the index. Specifically, the index calculation unit 117g generates comparative analysis information similar to the detailed analysis information for each of the trips on a plurality of dates selected by the wearer, or generates comparative analysis information similar to the detailed analysis information for each trip on the date selected by the wearer. Detailed analysis information and similar comparative analysis information are generated for each of the wearers' past driving.

The display information generation unit 117e is a module that generates display information displayed on the output interface 111, and generates display information that displays or outputs the body movement reproduction data analyzed by the analysis unit 117f in correspondence with a moving image. In this embodiment, this display information allows a video captured by the built-in camera 115, an external camera, etc. to be displayed on the screen, and can be compared with the body movement reproduction data analyzed by the analysis unit 117f and the timeline. Display in sync. Note that this display information includes display data as well as audio signals and other output control signals.

Further, the display screen includes a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for touch operations, and operations on the touch panel on which this GUI is displayed are input to the input interface 112 and can switch the display by the display information generation unit 117e. can. For example, videos of wearer 1 taken with the built-in camera 115 or an external camera can be displayed on the screen, each exercise parameter included in the body movement reproduction data can be individually displayed on the timeline, and the display mode can be switched. By doing so, it is possible to display a video taken from the front of the wearer 1 with a built-in camera of the information terminal device 100, or to display each exercise parameter included in the body movement reproduction data superimposed on the timeline. . Note that various other methods can be used to switch the display mode, such as displaying the video in full screen by superimposing the timeline on the video.

The memory 114 is a storage device that records various data, including identification information for identifying each information terminal device 100, information on the location where each body motion sensor 40 is attached, and relative positions of the body motion sensors 40 attached to each location. Relationships, the above-mentioned user information, model body movement data, etc. are accumulated. The memory 114 functions as a storage unit that stores index data, and the index data is a correlation between the stability period calculated by the analysis unit 117f, the amount of deviation after the stability period, and the index for evaluating the stabilization ability. This is table data to be held.

(Running form evaluation method)
By operating the running form evaluation system having the above configuration, the running form evaluation method according to the present embodiment can be implemented. FIG. 4 shows the recording operation of the running form evaluation system, and FIG. 5 shows the processing during motion analysis. Note that the processing procedure described below is only an example, and each process may be changed as much as possible. Further, regarding the processing procedure described below, steps can be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

(1) Recording operation First, the wearer 1 wears a pair of body motion sensors 40a and 40b on both left and right thighs. Then, a running form evaluation application, which is a program of the present invention, is started on the information terminal device 100 side, and a measurement start operation is input to the application in order to obtain detection results from each body movement sensor 40. At this time, an operation to start photographing with the external camera is performed as necessary (S201). In response to this measurement start operation, the control unit 117 of the information terminal device 100 performs connection processing with each body movement sensor 40 (S101). After the connection process, each body movement sensor 40 starts detecting the movement of the wearer 1 (S102). Specifically, a body movement sensor 40 attached to the wearer's thigh detects three-dimensional displacement, rotation, or acceleration of each part.

Next, each acquired detection result is transmitted to the wireless interface 113 of the information terminal device 100 by weak radio waves via the wireless communication unit of each body movement sensor 40 (S103). When the wireless interface 113 of the information terminal device 100 starts acquiring each detection result (S202), it starts recording the detection results by the body movement sensors 40a and 40b as body movement data in the memory 114, which is a body movement recording unit. Then, detection signals transmitted from each body movement sensor 40 are sequentially recorded (S203). At this time, the wearer may perform a calibration operation before starting the competition, if necessary. Specifically, for example, the wearer 1 may perform actions against the body motion sensor 40 within a short period of time, such as jumping, hitting or shaking the body of the wearer 1 or the body motion sensor 40 itself a predetermined number of times, in front of the camera. Perform an action that adds vibration a predetermined number of times.

Next, running is started, and during the run, the detection values of the body movement sensor 40 are continuously acquired, and the recording process is continuously executed, and the memory 114 etc. recorded as body movement data. At this time, video data captured by a built-in camera built into the information terminal device 100 or an external camera connected to the outside may be acquired, and the video data may be stored in the memory 114 or processed by the control unit 117. served. During this time, the data detected by the body movement sensor 40 is analyzed in real time to extract contact/separation state data (S204) and display it on the display unit of the information terminal device 100. As one of these analyses, running form evaluation processing is performed based on the recorded body movement data (S205).

Thereafter, for example, by detecting a stationary state for a certain period of time or more or by detecting an end operation by the wearer, the end of the competition is detected, and the measurement is ended ("Y" in S206), and the The recording process is stopped (S207). After that, communication with each sensor is cut off (S104).

(2) Running Form Evaluation Process Next, the running form evaluation process in step S205 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 5, body movement data is collected by the body movement data acquisition unit 117a, and video data is also collected as needed (S301). At this time, the body movement data, which is the detection value acquired from each sensor, is input as primary data to the display information generation unit 117e and can be directly outputted (S309), and is also input to the body movement calculation unit 117b. Necessary information is extracted, analyzed and corrected by the analysis unit 117f, and input as secondary data, which is body movement reproduction data, to the display information generation unit 117e for output processing.

Regarding the primary data input to the body movement calculation unit 117b, the contact/separation state of the wearer's legs is detected in the contact/separation state detection unit 117c, and each detection result related to the detected contact/separation state is determined as the state on the ground contact side. (S302). The approach/separation state detection unit 117c in this embodiment detects, for example, detection values indicating characteristic behavior based on detection values (body movement data) of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor constituting a body movement sensor, changes thereof, and time ( Based on the timing), feature points are detected, and based on that timing, the time of landing, takeoff, staying, or not touching the ground is determined according to the contact time, impact time, rate of change, and periodicity. The range is specified, and a flag is set for data for a length of time included in the range specified as the contact/separation state. Data with this flag set is extracted as contact/separation state data indicating the state of the ground contact side.

Then, the body motion calculation unit 117b and the analysis unit 117f perform evaluation and analysis based on the primary data of each detection result and contact/separation state data by the body motion sensor 40 stored in the memory 114, and also perform evaluation and analysis based on the primary data of the contact/separation state data. Analysis is performed based on body movement reproduction data, which is secondary data calculated based on the relative positional relationship of the body movement sensor 40. First, a running motion analysis step is performed based on the body motion data recorded in the memory 114 (S303). To be more specific, the body movement calculation unit 117b first performs a process of detecting feature points of the wearer's running using body movement data that is the detection result of the body movement sensors 40a and 40b.

The characteristic points of the wearer's running are the parts of the data corresponding to the detected values, changes thereof, and times (times) that indicate characteristic behavior detected by the body motion sensor, such as landing, stepping, takeoff, etc. Examples include changes in acceleration based on the characteristic body movements of the wearer. Further, the body movement calculation unit 117b performs processing to calculate each value of the ground contact time and the impact time based on the timing of the detected feature point. Specifically, the ground contact time and impact time are calculated from calculated data including feature points, based on the length of time the value lasts and the rate of change within a certain unit time, based on the timing at which the feature point was detected. Calculate each value.

In addition, in this running motion analysis step, the reference value set by the user's operation can be used as the stability reference value, and the reproducibility may be evaluated by comparing the amount of deviation from the stability reference value. When the motion is repeated multiple times, the average value of the parameters related to the repeated motion over a predetermined period (or a predetermined number of times) may be calculated as the stability reference value.

Regarding the setting of this reference value, the reference value setting unit 117d sets a stable reference value for evaluating the reproducibility of the body movement based on the body movement reproduction data stored in the memory 114 in response to the operation of the wearer 1. Set. Specifically, based on a setting operation by the wearer 1, a value selected from the average value, maximum value, minimum value, or any representative value within a predetermined period is set as the reference value. For example, in the setting operation of this reference value, for example, the same action is repeated several times at predetermined time intervals, and in addition to the average value, minimum value, and maximum value, the value of the time that wearer 1 thinks is the best It is also possible to input and set an arbitrary value such as the ideal value or the ideal value for advanced users or professionals.

Next, based on the contact/separation state data extracted by the contact/separation state detection unit 117c in step S302, the hip joint extension information generation unit 117i calculates the change in angular velocity of the leg immediately before landing (S303), and The timing at which the angular acceleration of the legs is reversed, that is, the timing at which the angular acceleration of the legs is reversed is detected (S304). The residence time calculation unit 117h calculates the residence time of the leg before and after the reversal timing as the residence time after takeoff (S305). Then, the changes in angular velocity and residence time calculated in steps S303, S305, etc. are passed to the hip joint extension information generating section 117i, and generated as hip joint extension information (S306).

Then, an index calculation step is executed in which the index calculation unit 117g calculates an evaluation index regarding the running form by referring to the index data based on the results of the running motion analysis (S307). In calculating this index, as shown in Figures 6 to 10, predetermined extracted contact/separation state data are analyzed, and the number of peaks, the height h of each peak, the length of the tail of the peak (time) B, and the shape of the peak (the sharpness of the peak, the order of elevation, the integral value (area, etc.) per unit time, etc.). As shown in Figure (b), when there are multiple peaks, the heights h1 and h2 of each peak, the lengths of the tails of the peaks (time) B1 and B2, the shape of the peaks, the distance between the peaks (time difference) ).

In addition, in this index calculation step, the amount of deviation from the stable reference value is constantly monitored to see if it is within a predetermined threshold, and the stable period during which these body movement parameters maintain a stable state is calculated. Good too. For example, the average values from the start of the competition are calculated one after another, and the average value while the average values are within a predetermined amount of change is set as the stability reference value. The stable reference value is updated at any time, and the amount by which the current value deviates from this stable reference value is monitored at any time as a deviation amount. After that, evaluation processing and predetermined diagnostic processing are performed based on the calculated index (S308), and the results of the diagnostic processing and the index are sent to the information terminal device along with synchronized video and body movement reproduction data that can be compared with these. The information is displayed or outputted using the 100 displays, sounds from speakers, etc. (S309).

(Running form evaluation program)
Note that the running form evaluation system and running form evaluation method according to the present embodiment described above, like the running form evaluation application described above, executes the running form evaluation program of the present invention written in a predetermined language on a computer. This can be achieved by That is, the program of the present invention can be installed on an IC chip or memory device of a general-purpose computer such as a mobile terminal device, a smartphone, a wearable terminal, a mobile PC or other information processing terminal, a personal computer or a server computer, and executed on the CPU. Accordingly, it is possible to construct a system having each of the above-mentioned functions and implement the running form evaluation method.

(action/effect)
As described above, in this embodiment, the body movement sensors attached to the thighs of both legs of the wearer detect when the wearer's legs take off from the ground, and the behavior of the legs after the takeoff is detected. An index for evaluating running form is calculated based on the running form. According to this embodiment, by using a body movement sensor attached to the thigh, it is possible to measure the degree of extension of the hip joint, quantify the evaluation target of so-called "leg movement", and perform more advanced and detailed analysis. .

To be more specific, in this embodiment, in order to quantify the degree of extension of the hip joint, the residence time before and after the leg kicks backward is measured, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. By using Gyr, a fetal movement sensor attached to the thigh, we analyze the movement of the thigh before and after the moment when the leg kicks backwards and switches to swinging out.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the landing of the wearer's legs is detected by body motion sensors attached to the thighs of both legs of the wearer, and the running form is evaluated based on the behavior of the legs before landing. Calculate indicators. In this embodiment, the timing of landing is measured by a body motion sensor attached to the thigh, and the change in angular velocity immediately before landing is calculated as hip joint extension information. The timing of deceleration of the thighs is greatly affected by the swinging of the lower part of the knee, and the lowering of the thigh and the lower part of the knee move as a double pendulum in opposite directions, causing a deceleration movement of the thigh. Regarding this, athletes with low skill will stop or significantly slow down the movement of their thighs at this point before landing. In contrast, skilled athletes minimize deceleration, accelerate again, and land while swinging their thighs at high speed.

In this embodiment, the body movement sensor measures the angular velocity from the time the leg swings down to the landing, as shown in FIGS. Evaluate from the waveform, grouping from the waveform, and evaluate the speed just before landing. As a result of the above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to detect the degree and timing of extension of the hip joint in a running motion, and to analyze the running form more highly and precisely.

In addition, the running form evaluation program according to the present embodiment can be distributed through a communication line, and can also be packaged as a package that runs on a stand-alone computer by recording it on a computer-readable recording medium. Can be transferred as an application. Specifically, the information can be recorded on various recording media such as a magnetic recording medium such as a flexible disk or a cassette tape, an optical disc such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, or a RAM card. According to the computer-readable recording medium on which this program is recorded, it becomes possible to easily implement the above-mentioned system and method using a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer, and it also becomes possible to store, transport, and store the program. Installation can be done easily.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements at the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments.

…Contact status data
1... Wearer 40... Body movement sensor 40a... Body movement sensor 40a, 40b... Body movement sensor 100... Information terminal device 111... Output interface 112... Input interface 113... Wireless interface 114... Memory 115... Built-in camera 117... Control unit 117a ...Body movement data acquisition section 117b...Body movement calculation section 117c...Approach/separation state detection section 117d...Reference value setting section 117e...Display information generation section 117f...Analysis section 117g...Index calculation section 117h...Residence time calculation section 117i...Hip joint extension Information generation section

Claims

A system that detects body movements of a wearer and evaluates running form based on changes in body movements,
a plurality of body motion sensors that are attached to each of the thighs of both legs of the wearer and are capable of detecting three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part;
a contact/separation state detection unit that detects the release of the wearer's legs based on detection results by the pair of body motion sensors, and extracts each detection result related to the detected release as contact/separation state data;
an index calculation unit that calculates an index for evaluating the running form based on the behavior of the leg related to the takeoff after the takeoff from the contact state data extracted by the contact state detection unit;
A running form evaluation system comprising: an output device that displays or outputs the index calculated by the index calculation section.
The index calculation unit uses the approach/separation state data to calculate the timing at which the angular acceleration of the leg related to the takeoff is reversed, and the residence time of the leg before and after that timing as hip joint extension information, and calculates the hip extension information. 2. The running form evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the index is calculated based on the behavior of the leg after the take-off, which includes information.
A system that detects body movements of a wearer and evaluates running form based on changes in body movements,
a plurality of body motion sensors that are attached to each of the thighs of both legs of the wearer and are capable of detecting three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part;
a landing state detection unit that detects the landing state of the wearer's legs based on the detection results by the pair of body movement sensors, and extracts each detection result related to the detected landing state as approach/separation state data;
an index calculation unit that calculates an index for evaluating the running form based on the behavior of the leg related to the landing before landing from the contact/separation state data extracted by the contact/separation state detection unit;
A running form evaluation system comprising: an output device that displays or outputs the index calculated by the index calculation section.
The index calculation unit uses the contact/separation state data to calculate a change in angular velocity of the leg related to the landing immediately before landing as hip joint extension information, and calculates a change in angular velocity of the leg related to the landing immediately before landing including the hip joint extension information. The running form evaluation system according to claim 3, wherein the index is calculated based on behavior.
A method for detecting body movements of a wearer and evaluating running form based on changes in body movements, the method comprising:
A plurality of body movement sensors capable of detecting three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part are attached to each of the thighs of both legs of the wearer, and the contact/separation state detection section detects the detection by the pair of body movement sensors. a contact/separation state detection step of detecting the takeoff of the wearer's leg based on the results and extracting each detection result related to the detected takeoff as contact/separation state data;
an index calculation step in which the index calculation unit calculates an index for evaluating the running form from the contact/separation state data extracted in the contact/separation state detection step based on the behavior of the leg related to the takeoff after the takeoff; and,
A running form evaluation method comprising: an output step in which an output device displays or outputs the index calculated by the index calculation unit.
The index calculation unit uses the approach/separation state data to calculate the timing at which the angular acceleration of the leg related to the takeoff is reversed, and the residence time of the leg before and after that timing as hip joint extension information, and calculates the hip extension information. 6. The running form evaluation method according to claim 5, wherein the index is calculated based on the behavior of the leg after the take-off, which includes information.
A method for detecting body movements of a wearer and evaluating running form based on changes in body movements, the method comprising:
A plurality of body movement sensors capable of detecting three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part are attached to each of the thighs of both legs of the wearer, and the contact/separation state detection section detects the detection by the pair of body movement sensors. a contact/separation state detection step of detecting landing of the wearer's leg based on the results and extracting each detection result related to the detected landing as contact/separation state data;
an index calculation step in which the index calculation unit calculates an index for evaluating the running form from the contact/separation state data extracted in the contact/separation state detection step, based on the behavior of the leg related to the landing before landing;
A running form evaluation method comprising: an output step in which an output device displays or outputs the index calculated by the index calculation unit.
The index calculation unit uses the contact/separation state data to calculate a change in angular velocity of the leg related to the landing immediately before landing as hip joint extension information, and calculates a change in angular velocity of the leg related to the landing immediately before landing including the hip joint extension information. 8. The running form evaluation method according to claim 7, wherein the index is calculated based on behavior.
A program that detects the wearer's body movements and evaluates running form based on changes in body movements.
Detecting the release of the wearer's legs based on the detection results of a plurality of body movement sensors that are attached to each of the thighs of both legs of the wearer and can detect three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part. , a contact/separation state detection unit that extracts each detection result related to the detected takeoff as contact/separation state data;
an index calculation unit that calculates an index for evaluating the running form based on the behavior of the leg related to the takeoff after the takeoff from the contact state data extracted by the contact state detection unit;
A running form evaluation program that functions as an output device that displays or outputs the index calculated by the index calculation unit.
The index calculation unit uses the approach/separation state data to calculate the timing at which the angular acceleration of the leg related to the takeoff is reversed, and the residence time of the leg before and after that timing as hip joint extension information, and calculates the hip extension information. 10. The running form evaluation program according to claim 9, wherein the index is calculated based on the behavior of the leg after the take-off, which includes information.
A program that detects the wearer's body movements and evaluates running form based on changes in body movements.
Detects the landing state of the wearer's legs based on the detection results of a plurality of body movement sensors that are attached to each of the thighs of both legs of the wearer and can detect three-dimensional displacement or rotation of each part. , a landing state detection unit that extracts each detection result related to the detected landing state as contact/separation state data;
an index calculation unit that calculates an index for evaluating the running form based on the behavior of the leg related to the landing before landing from the contact/separation state data extracted by the contact/separation state detection unit;
A running form evaluation program that functions as an output device that displays or outputs the index calculated by the index calculation unit.
The index calculation unit uses the contact/separation state data to calculate a change in angular velocity of the leg related to the landing immediately before landing as hip joint extension information, and calculates a change in angular velocity of the leg related to the landing immediately before landing including the hip joint extension information. The running form evaluation program according to claim 11, wherein the index is calculated based on behavior.