Evaluating the use of a piezo-resistive pressure sensor system for performance feedback in long track speed skating

Evaluating the use of a piezo-resistive pressure sensor system for performance feedback in long track speed skating

Kornelsen, Cam (TU Delft Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering; TU Delft Biomechanical Engineering)

Veeger, DirkJan (mentor)
van der Kruk, Eline (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Mechanical Engineering

2017-10-31

In the sport of long track speed skating, in recent years there has been an increasing desire for training tools which provide deeper technical insight of the skating movement to the athlete and coaches. In previous literature a variety of measurement systems have been presented; one such system included the instrumented klapskate developed at the Delft University of Technology. Alongside the implementation of this new instrumented klapskate, a simplified piezo-resistive pressure sensor system has been applied with high performance Dutch speed skaters; however, to this point the best application of such a system has not been shown. This research examined the potential ways in which this simplified system may provide valuable feedback to a skater, with consideration for the feedback currently available within the sport. Through a combination of bench and on-ice testing, the system was evaluated for its ability to predict skating forces (normal, lateral, and absolute), the center of pressure of force application, peak stroke force, and finally, contact time for individual strokes. Despite an inability to generate a full profile of skating force, the PRPS system provided reasonable estimations of peak stroke normal (RMSE = 50.2 N) and absolute (RMSE =50.5 N) forces in the straights, while in the curve, peak normal (RMSE = 129.4) and absolute (RMSE = 131.5 N) force estimates were less accurate. Stroke timing was predicted with accuracy, giving minor underestimation in both the straight (RMSE = 0.0671 s) and curves (RMSE = 0.0474 s). Center of pressure measurement was largely unsuccessful when attempted on the bench using a tensile load cell, however estimations applied to on-ice data yielded trends in center of pressure position consistent with previous literature, suggesting future viability as a feedback parameter. For future work, a larger sample size and further on-ice testing would be recommended for verification and improved development of this prototype system.

speed skating
measurement system
force measurements
stroke time

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Student theses

master thesis