technique
by coaches and athletes. This kind of approach has
been used in a variety of domains including biomechanics
to analyze human gait. Such an approach would be
able to answer questions that 2D video or live action
cannot answer.
For example, precisely how is the motion of one
swimmer different from another? How do the various
body parts move during a stroke? 3D animations could
also become an invaluable tool for training athletes.
Simple models of fluid forces could also be included
into these animated model and used for rapid assessment
of various strokes. Finally, 3D animations can also
provide body motion data that can be fed into the
CFD analysis described above. Preliminary proof-of-concept
work in this direction has already been done by
the group using body-scan and videographic data
provided by USA Swimming, and adjacent figure shows
a multi-exposure view of a 3D computer model captured
from video of a real swimmer executing a dolphin
kick. This model can be made to move precisely like
the athlete in question. The model can then be measured
and visualized to give a variety of information
about the swimmer and this would be difficult to
do using conventional video analysis. For instance,
the red line in the figure traces the motion of
the toe and the animation can also be viewed from
any direction as shown in the lower figures in order
to examine in detail, the various stages in the
stroke.
Currently, several swimming motions such as
backstroke are being added to the motion library,
and the visualization application has several tools for comparison
and analysis of different styles of swimming motion.
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