Eric Assandri, Lecturer in Performance, NSCD

Using technology to enhance instruction on elevation technique practices

External partner: Dr Andrew D Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Leeds Beckett University

This project aims to enable students to monitor their own practice and further develop their cognitive and motor skills in the preparation for and landing from jumps, in order to prevent injuries such as shin splints, sprains, knee misalignment or lower back pains.

Drawing parallels with high level sports training, the research will develop and test a simple tool to help guide instruction on elevation technique, comprising a high speed camera and an accelerometer. These devices produce a time-locked record which can then be played back interactively on a computer. Slow motion video is useful for visually evaluating the form of fast movements, while the acceleration data assesses how smooth and efficient the movement was.

The subsequent development of an interface should allow evaluation of the data collection and use of the information by trainers and dancers. The goal is a simple, targeted analysis package focused on relating acceleration data and image data and presenting this in an instructor friendly format, which other software/apps do not offer.