A Rigorous and Integrated On-Water Monitoring System for Performance and Technique Improvement in Rowing

This paper presents a prototype, on-water rowing monitoring system and its testing results for a single scull boat. The proposed system aims at recording critical kinetic (athlete biomechanics and oar/seat movements) and kinematic (boat position, velocity, acceleration, and attitude) parameters for sport performance evaluation and rowing technique improvement. The data acquisition unit is organized in two parts: the first part aims at logging boat kinematics based on GNSS/INS filtering, while the second one facilitates kinetics data recording using a series of analog sensors (potentiometers, strain gauges) installed on the athlete’s body and the boat seat and oars. Both parts are connected to a central unit featuring analog voltage digitizers and a micro-PC for device handling and data storing. In order to test the performance of the system a series of field trials were undertaken featuring different observation scenarios as well as intentionally induced errors in the rowing technique. Analysis revealed the high performance of the system in terms of sensor completeness and setup procedures as well as operational efficiency. Moreover, system performance evaluation exercised through studying raw data recordings and resultant parameters at stroke cycle and average (standardized) stroke cycle level confirmed the fruitfulness of the proposed approach and system and its potential for implementation on a broad scale. Finally, the data acquired from the proposed system were used to compute the adopted input parameters and performance indicators to characterize the system in terms of functionality and operational efficiency.