Wearable sensors: new frontiers for movement analysis in sport performance and health

Wearable sensors, which can be attached to the body for extended periods of time in real-world conditions, provide exciting new opportunities for biomechanics researchers to assess human movement. This session will present various research opportunities and challenges afforded by wearable technology, particularly with respect to data validation and the establishment of normative databases, both of which are necessary to realize the full potential of wearables for clinical and high performance sport analysis. Using specific examples from competitive swimming and gait analysis, it will describe some of the many benefits to be gained from using wearable technology to conduct biomechanics and movement science research. Finally, it will demonstrate how wearable technologies provide a valuable source of information for big data analytics and how these strategies can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of training and other movement interventions (e.g., rehabilitation) for performance improvement and injury prevention.