SBIR Phase I: Sports Performace Improvement Through Novel Methods of Computer Human Interaction

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will research, prototype, and test a novel system for improving performance and reducing injuries due to improper body mechanics in sports such as baseball, football, and tennis. The innovation of the proposed system is twofold: First, it builds on the learning theory of real-time feedback combined with inexpensive data collection technologies, that is, ordinary video cameras, wireless accelerometers, personal computers, and computer generated sounds. This makes it an ideal learning tool for a wide audience and puts it within the financial and technical reach of organizations devoted to the development of student-age players. Second, Alberti's Window plans to research the effectiveness of real-time auditory feedback of motion variables (with and without visual feedback on a computer screen), an area that is highly under-explored, and, one that has large potential to leverage learning through human-computer interactions. The application area during Phase I will be youth baseball players. Recreational sports is an area that involves a large number of people; for example, there are nearly 3 million participants in Little League Baseball. Companies that sell to this market are typically billion dollar companies. While computers and modern technology have been used to advantage in professional sports, they are not extensively used in amateur or recreational contexts. Potential benefits of this technology include 1) reduction in injuries that are due to improper body mechanics, and consequently wider and more enjoyable participation , 2) better athletic performance , 3) increased scientific and technological literacy to the target population of young sports enthusiasts, and 4) increased understanding of the possibilities of using real-time multimodal sensory feedback in Human-Computer interactions.