In order for gymnasts to deliver maximum performance, the gymnastic equipment must also be constantly optimized. What forces are acting upon the materials? How should equipment be designed to perform in perfect harmony with the athletes? To answer these questions, tests are required. The sporting equipment manufacturer Janssen-Fritsen has recognized these needs, and together with the imc partner Daqpoint, has successfully incorporated imc test and measurement systems to do just that. As part of the 2013 Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Janssen-Fritsen demonstrated exactly how synchronous measurement and video data could be recorded and visualized to optimize performance.
During the testing, focus was placed on a gymnast performing the rings event. Force and momentum are the main elements in this exercise. The test setup consisted of two force sensors attached to the rings. The imc C-SERIES measurement device captured every movement of the gymnast. With a camera synchronously capturing video data, both the gymnast’s symmetry, as well as asymmetry, were recorded while performing on the rings. The signals from the force sensors, as well as the video data, were synchronously captured and visualized using imc STUDIO measurement software.
Utilizing imc measurement systems givers Janssen-Fritsen an excellent opportunity to optimize the corresponding sports equipment and, of course, allows the gymnast and coaching team the chance to observe the signal optimization of the exercise. For example, the gymnast can find out if the forces exerted are distributed evenly over the rings or whether force wasting effects are occurring that make the performance inefficient. In addition, the gymnast and trainer can also observe whether there actually exists “rest in the rings” or whether small corrections should be made. In the future, test and measurement techniques will provide additional leverage to allow the gymnast to swing to new athletic heights in the field of gymnastics.
