AFThe Vibe of Skating: A Wearable Vibrotactile Speed Skating Coach

AFThe Vibe of Skating: A Wearable Vibrotactile Speed Skating Coach

Van der Steen, D.

Jansen, A.J. (mentor)
Dekker, M.C. (mentor)
Den Braver, O. (mentor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Design for Interaction

2012-06-25

Speed skaters often mention a so called “good feeling”, this “good feeling” is the feeling as if the skating goes automatically. Most of the time this feeling rises when skating behind a better skater, but sometimes it also happens when skating alone. This is the feeling nearly every speed skater is after when skating then they say something like “today I really got in pace”. What is this “good feeling” out of? Well most of the time it is the reduced air friction and with it the less power that is needed to keep the same speed making it feel more easy. But there is more into it, the skater is most often a little better which challenges to take over the same, often more constant, rhythm and stroke width to stay in the wake. This project utilizes this good feeling and utilizes the elements feedback can be provided about, the rhythm and the double support phase. By taking a bit slower rhythm the skater is challenged to improve on his technique in order to keep the same speed. When the rhythm is not matched up and the skate is placed too early, the double support phase, feedback will be provided. This way the skater not only gets a tool in finding the good feel but it also helps the coach by providing feedback about hard to observe elements of skating.

speed skating
feedback
vibrotactile

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:7bd07357-972a-4511-b823-9711ffe8637e

2013-06-25

Campus only

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2012 Van der Steen, D.