Automated scoring for elite half-pipe snowboard competition: important sporting development or techno distraction?

Abstract

We previously reported a strong relationship between video-based objective data (air time and degree of rotation) and subjectively-judged scores awarded during elite half-pipe snowboard competitions. Advancements in sport-monitoring technologies now provide the capacity to accurately and automatically quantify this objective information. This may assist current subjective coaching and competition judging protocols provided the integration process imparts a large element of control to key players within the sport. We therefore recently hosted an invitational half-pipe snowboard competition (2007 Australian Institute of Sport Micro-Tech Pipe Challenge) designed to evaluate whether the snowboarding community would embrace a competition where results were in part determined by automated objectivity. We explored the practical, logistical, and technical challenges associated with conducting such an event and evaluated the relationship between subjective judging and results predicted from objective information to see if prior research had ecological validity. Ten elite, male half-pipe snowboarders were instrumented with inertial sensors throughout this competition. A prediction equation using previously-established weightings of average air time and average degree of rotation accounted for 74 per cent of the shared variance in subjectively-judged scores awarded during this competition. Although our predictions of overall scores and rankings were good, 26 per cent of the total variance was still unexplained. This should not be considered a weakness of this approach, but a strength, as the subjective components of style and execution should never be removed from the sport. The future of half-pipe snowboarding, however, may be best guided a judging protocol that incorporates both objective and subjective criteria.

Instrumentation of athletes and equipment during competitions

“…This type of instrumentation is of course highly suitable for training purposes. In contrast to that, an inertial sensor unit 'mounted inside a small padded carry bag and positioned on the lower back to the left of the spine' [8] by a waist-belt for snowboard performance analysis and automated objective scoring during competitions is definitely a better solution. It was even suggested to incorporate the instrumentation into the competition bibs, 'because basically all the athletes have to wear them when they are competing' [9].…”

“…The athlete, however, benefits from instrumented equipment directly in terms of optimising the training and indirectly when used for automated objective scoring during competitions [8].…”

“…And last but not least, the athletes need to be convinced that their cooperativeness is essential for increasing the interest in sports, by considering and respecting personal issues, ranging from more objective judging systems [8] to unwanted revealing of private skills, techniques and strategies.…”

Smart Kote Glove for Assessment of Scoring Parameters of Dan and Kyu Grade Kendokas

“…Sensor technology has been utilised in automatic scoring during the past decade in many sports such as martial arts [1] and winter sports [2]. The technology was introduced to aid human umpire in judging the sport game accurately and consistently, especially in the large sports competitions such as Olympic.…”

Biomechanical analysis in freestyle snowboarding: application of a full-body inertial measurement system and a bilateral insole measurement system

“…There are several studies showing the usage of such systems in the research of alpine winter sports [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Harding et al [20,21] utilized inertial sensors in freestyle snowboarding for the determination of objective key performance variables; for example, air time and degree of rotation.…”