Speed profiles in wheelchair court sports; comparison of two methods for measuring wheelchair mobility performance

Abstract

Wheelchair mobility performance is an important aspect in most wheelchair court sports, commonly measured with an indoor tracking system or wheelchair bound inertial sensors. Both methods provide key wheelchair mobility performance outcomes regarding speed. In this study, we compared speed profiles of both methods to gain insight into the level of agreement, for recommendations regarding future performance measurement. Data were obtained from 5 male highly trained wheelchair basketball players during match play. Players were equipped simultaneously with a tag on the footplate for the indoor tracking system (∼8 Hz) and inertial sensors on both wheels and frame (199.8 Hz). Being part of a larger study on 3 vs 3 player game formats, data were collected in several matches with varying field sizes, but activity profiles closely resembled regular match play. Both systems provide similar outcomes regarding distance covered and average speed. Due to differences in sampling frequency and sensor location (reference point) on the wheelchair (for speed calculation), minor differences were revealed at low speeds (<2.5 m/s). Since both systems provide complementary features, a hybrid solution as proved feasible in this study, could possibly serve as the new gold standard for mobility performance measurement in wheelchair basketball or wheelchair court sports in general.

Wearable Wheelchair Mobility Performance Measurement in Basketball, Rugby, and Tennis: Lessons for Classification and Training

“…The wheelchair mobility performance profiles represent match-play, so with all sport-specific influences taken into account, a more isolated field test could be used to determine the athlete’s maximal wheelchair mobility performance as described by van der Slikke et al [ 17 ] and Rietveld et al [ 5 ]. In such a test, wheelchair tennis athletes will likely range higher, as they are on average the least impaired.…”

A Literature Review Informing an Operational Guideline for Inertial Sensor Propulsion Measurement in Wheelchair Court Sports

“…Other researchers used advanced filtering to fuse different IMU sensors data allowing for state estimation to mitigate against errors. Van der Slikke et al [ 14 , 20 , 23 , 25 , 30 ] used a complementary filter to weigh the accelerometer and gyroscope, Xu et al [ 7 ] used an extended Kalman filter to combine 5 Hz GPS data as a reference point to the rotation data from the gyroscope, and Shepherd et al [ 24 ] used Madgwick’s [ 29 ] AHRS IMU orientation filter.…”

Rehabilitation: mobility, exercise & sports; a critical position stand on current and future research perspectives

“…Anaerobic capacity is deemed to be highly essential in the functionality of the daily life of rehabilitation populations, yet it is only rarely specifically trained [81]. Similarly, the study of motor skill and technique in wheeled mobility would benefit from standardized labmeasurements as presented by Leving et al [82,83], but also by data-driven notions advocated by Van der Slikke et al [74,84,85]. Merging both approaches would benefit our deepened understanding of (athletic) motor skill, motor learning, and performance capacity in the context of disability, classification, and training regimes.…”