Intelligent Skiing Posture Detection and Recognition through Internet of Bodies

The training of special ability of skiing should start from the control of body posture ability to highlight the characteristics of the sports. Thus, the athletes can have the sports ability in the process of high-speed skiing. This paper establishes a system to automatically recognize the skiing posture which can help athletes grasp the skiing postures. First, the skiing images are collected by distributed camera. Second, the skeleton features are extracted to learn a classification model which is used to recognize and adjust skiing postures. Lastly, the analytical results of posture recognition is returned to athletes through Internet of bodies. The framework can effectively recognize the skiing postures and provide athletes with training advices.

Recognition and prediction of driver’s whole body posture model

The driver’s whole-body posture at the time of a collision is a key factor in determining the magnitude of injury to the driver. However, current researchs on driver posture models only consider the upper body posture of the driver, and the lower body area which is not perceived by sensors is not studied. This paper investigates the driver’s posture and establishes a 3D posture model of the driver’s whole body through the application of machine vision algorithms and regression model statistics. This study proposes an improved Kinect-OpenPose algorithm for identifying the 3D spatial coordinates of nine keypoints of the driver’s upper body. The posture prediction regression model of four keypoints of the lower body is established by conducting volunteer posture acquisition experiments on the developed simulated driving seat and analyzing the volunteer posture data through using the principal components of the upper body keypoints and the seat parameters. The experiments proved that the error of the regression model in this paper is minor than that of current studies, and the accuracy of the keypoint location and the keypoint connection length of the established driver whole body posture model is high, which provides implications for future studies.

How Being Observed Influences Preschoolers’ Emotions Following (Less) Deserving Help

Children sometimes show positive emotions in response to seeing others being helped, yet it remains poorly understood whether there is a strategic value to such emotional expressions. Here, we investigated the influence seeing a peer receive deserving help or not on children’s emotions, which were assessed while the peer was present or not. To measure children’s emotional expression, we used a motion depth sensor imaging camera, which recorded children’s body posture. Five-year-old children (N = 122) worked on a task which yielded greater rewards for them compared to their peer, rendering the peer to be in greater need of help. An adult––who was unaware of the different levels of neediness––then either helped the child who had a lesser need for help (less deserving outcome) or helped the needier peer (deserving outcome). Overall, both children showed a lowered body posture, a more negative emotional expression, after not being helped and an elevated body posture, a more positive emotional expression, after being helped. Seeing their peer (less deservedly) not receive help, and to a lesser extent being observed, blunted children’s otherwise positive emotions in response to receiving help. These results are discussed in the broader theoretical context of how children’s emotions sometimes reflect their commitment to cooperative relationships with peers.

How reliable is measurement of posture during sleep: real-world measurement of body posture and movement during sleep using accelerometers

Objective Understanding sleeping behaviours could improve prevention and treatment of sleep problems and associated health conditions. This study aimed to evaluate a method to assess body posture and movement during sleep using trunk-worn accelerometers for 28 days. Approach Participants (50 adults with low back pain (66% female); aged 32(±9) years) wore two activPAL-micro sensors (thigh, trunk) during their normal daily life for 28 consecutive days. Parameters related to body posture (e.g., time spent lying supine or prone) and movement (e.g., number of turns) during sleep were calculated for each night. Average values for each parameter were identified for different periods, the Spearman-Brown Prophecy Formula was used to estimate the minimum number of nights required to obtain a reliable estimate of each parameter, and repeatability of measures between different weeks was calculated. Main Results Participants spent 8.1(±0.8) hours asleep and most time (44%) was spent in a supine posture. The minimum number of nights required for reliable estimates varied between sleep parameters, range 4-21 nights. The most stable parameters (i.e., requiring less than seven nights) were “average activity”, “no. of turns”, “time spent prone”, and “posture changes in the first hour”. Some measures differed substantially between weeks. Significance Most sleep parameters related to body posture and movement require a week or more of monitoring to provide reliable estimates of behaviour over one month. Notably, one week may not reflect behaviour in another week, and the time varying nature of sleep needs to be considered.

EFFECT OF NEURAC THERAPY ON PLANTAR PRESSURES DISTRIBUTION AND THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE HUMAN BODY

Nowadays, the pathophysiological posture is a problem for a large part of the population, which leads to a deterioration in the quality of life as a result of functional disorders of the human musculoskeletal system. The aim of the presented article is to point out the effectiveness of movement therapy for the correction of the pelvic position and subsequent adjustment of the body posture, which is evaluated by a change in the distribution of plantar pressures as well as the position of the center of gravity projection. Observations were made on three subjects who reported pain in different areas of the body as a result of incorrect body posture. Input and control measurements were performed on a baropodometer, and Neurac movement therapy in the Redcord system was applied between the individual measurements. The individual exercises were chosen specifically with regard to affect the specific muscle groups. After evaluating the measured data, it can be stated that the selected movement therapy has a significant effect on the correction of pathophysiological position, which is also demonstrated by changing the distribution of plantar pressures, adjusting the position of the center of gravity projection and also significantly eliminating painful symptoms and increasing movement comfort.

Fresh Water Aquatic Training in Patients with Upright Posture Maintaining Disorders

The use of the fresh water aquatic training course, as a more gentle training method, may allow patients to ensure effective restoration of muscle functions responsible for maintaining an upright body position. A more accurate control of the course results can be performed using a virtual analysis carried out using the «Habilect» system that allows to determine the body parts attitude. Aim. To study the effect of training in fresh water using the Habilect system based on the Microsoft Kinect infrared sensor (video stabilometry) on motor functions that contribute to maintaining an upright body posture in patients with mild gait disturbances. Material and methods. An open descriptive study was conducted including 12 patients (7 men, 5 women), aged 40 to 62 years, with upright posture maintaining disorders, which correspond to the functional diagnosis encoded by the ICF «Gait Stereotype Functions» B770.1 – mild violations (5–24%). A group of subjects (n = 12), in addition to basic therapy and training with an exercise therapy instructor, underwent aquatic training in fresh water for two weeks (30 minutes, 6 days a week). Assessment methods: the research was carried out using the Habilect gait video analysis system before and after the rehabilitation course. The χ2 test was used to assess the significance of differences between groups of qualitative variables. When analyzing quantitative variables, the Shapiro-Wilk’s (W) test was performed. For abnormal distribution, the data is in Me format [Q25-Q75]. The Wilcoxon T-test was used to assess the significance of differences in quantitative variables of the two studied groups. The processing of the obtained research results was carried out using the Statistica for Windows, v. 8.0 (StatSoft Inc., USA) and Microsoft Excel (Microsoft, USA). The significance of the differences was considered established at p <0.05. Result and discussion. When examining the amplitude of body deflection along the X-axis before training, they were 3.25 cm [-98 cm; 93.9 cm], after – -9.96 cm [-100.92 cm; -81.96 cm], on the Y-axis before training – -29.01 cm [-29.01 cm; 13.76 cm], after –-30.59 cm [-30.59 cm; 31.09 cm], on the Z-axis before training – 388.1 cm [369.22 cm; 393.39 cm], after training – 380.96 cm [377.98cm, 400.05 cm], deviation of the body movement vector before training 16.45 cm [7.46 cm; 338.67 cm], after training – 324.7 cm [324.7 cm; 342.56 cm]. When examining the amplitude of head deflection along the X-axis before training, they were -0.92 cm [-1.24 cm; -0.92 cm], after – 1.5 cm [-10.19 cm; 2.38 cm], Y-axis before training – 125.33 cm [61.13 cm; 128.94 cm], after – 107.42 cm [52.49 cm; 107.42 cm], along the Z-axis before training – -8.59 cm [-8.97 cm; -5.33 cm], after training – -14.89 cm [-14.89 cm, -3.45cm]. When calculating the increase in deviation (deviations of the main body axes from the initial value) using the Wilcoxon T-test revealed statistically significant deviations in the X-axis (an increase of 306.5%, p = 0.0504), the Z-axis (an increase of 112.68%, p =0.0225) and the Body Angle parameter (an increase of 1973.86% p = 0.0323). When calculating the increase in the deviation of the head axes from the initial value using the Wilcoxon T-test, statistically significant deviations were revealed along the X axis (increase of 163.04%, p = 0.0280), the Y axis (increase of 85.71%, p = 0.0199) and the parameter Z (an increase of 173.34% p = 0.0292). The study revealed a decrease in the body axes deviations amplitude in all 3 planes, which indicates an improvement in the work of all brain parts that are responsible for the coordination of motor functions and their vegetative support, an improvement in functional interaction within individual muscle chains. The reduction in the head and neck muscles in compensatory balancing participation during walking and maintaining a vertical body posture mainly due to the muscles of the lower extremities and pelvis contributes to the prevention of arterial and venous circulation disorders in the head and neck and makes training not only more effective, but also safer. Conclusion. Due to the decrease in the amplitude of deviations along all three axes (Z, Y, X), the course of aquatic training contributes to the correction of upright posture maintaining disorders, a statistically significant decrease in the amplitude of head and neck movements.

Age-Related, Sport-Specific Dysfunctions of the Shoulder and Pelvic Girdle in Athletes Table Tennis Players. Observational Study

Background: Postural skills are fundamental in motor activities, so far no evidence of a direct relationship has been found, it is therefore recommended to consider the following directions, the higher the level of sports competition, the better the body posture; or better athletes also have a better body posture. Around the age of 11-14 years, it is a period of aggressive development, if the rapid growth of the bone system is not associated and symmetrical with the development of soft tissues serious postural deficiencies may develop in table tennis players. Methods: We used the web camera – photographic method (38) related to the Sensor Medica software that allows the acquisition of images in order to detect postural deficiencies and we considered it necessary to have a clear image of the level of technical-tactical training of female juniors III using 5 tests specific to topspin attack in order to assess the influence of body posture on such tests. Eighteen female juniors III (the mean ± SD age, height and weight were 11.1 ± 0.2 years, 147.7 ± 2.6 cm, 39.0 ± 2.0 kg). Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the procedures for establishing the normality of data distribution, Levene's Test for Equality of Variances, the t test for independent samples. The confidence interval was set at 95% (p < 0.05), Results and Conclusions: Since Sig. (2-tailed) or p < α = 0.001 and taking into account that the confidence interval limits for the difference between the sample mean and the reference value (95% CI for the mean difference) do not contain the zero value, it is accepted that there are statistically significant differences between the shoulder inclination for the female athletes in the sample studied and the reference value. We identified that at the level of alignment between anatomical landmarks, the percentage of deficiency of the entire lot of female juniors III in the case of shoulders is 100% and at the level of PSIS is 66%, which validates several studies that stated that in this period of aggressive growth correlated with repetitive unilateral executions specific to the topspin attack lead to postural deficiencies. In terms of the influence of body posture on the quality level, we identified that Group 1 – (without PSIS imbalance) has a higher average overall efficiency of the 5 tests (11.33) compared to Group 2 (8.58), even if from a statistical point of view these differences are not significant. Keywords: Body posture, Asimmetry, Topspin attack, Table tennis, Sensor Medica,

The Effect of a School Backpack Mass Back Carried on the Features of Body Posture in the Frontal Plane of 7-year-old Students of Both Sexes

BackgroundThe lifestyle of children has a significant impact on the future health of the whole society. Therefore, health education, prevention and monitoring of health determinants is important at every stage of ontogenesis. This requires a thorough knowledge of the schoolchild's environment, perceived as a wide set of stressors, including not only genetic but also epigenetic factors. One of them is the issue of the correct and abnormal body posture at school and on the way there.MethodBody posture tests were carried out in a group of 65 students aged 7 years, using the projection moiré method in 4 positions: 1-habitual posture, 2-posture after 10-minute of asymmetric axial load, 3-a posture after one minute of the load removal, 4- a posture after two minutes of the load removal. Physical fitness was measured with the Sekita test. ResultsThe significance of differences between the 1st and 2nd measurements was analyzed to determine the impact of the backpack load and the correlation with physical fitness, and to study its influence on the value of the differences in posture features. ConclusionsCarrying school supplies on the back induces significant changes in the value of the features describing the body posture in the frontal plane. It should be assumed that the greater the weight of the container and, carrying time and intensity of physical effort is the greater the changes will be. Relatedly, it is not recommended to carry school supplies weighing more than 4 kg by first-grade students.Physical fitness has a various and sex-dependent influence on the value of changes in body posture features because of carrying school supplies. Among boys it significantly affects the asymmetry of the torso bend, shoulder height, the waist triangles height and width, whereas among girls it affects the asymmetry of the shoulders and the distance of the angles of the lower shoulder blades from the line of the spinous processes of the spine. Among boys the changes in the value of posture features are mostly influenced by endurance and speed, but strength, power and agility are of lower influence, whereas among girls only agility matters.