Report

Speed profiles in wheelchair court sports; comparison of methods for measuring mobility performance.

A hybrid approach for measurement of wheelchair mobility performance may be the most advantageous for measuring wheelchair court sports performance.

Lead academic:
Dr R M A van der Slikke
Additional academics:
Dr Barry Mason, Professor Vicky Tolfrey
Funder:
The Peter Harrison Foundation, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Enterprise Project Group

Introduction:

Wheelchair mobility performance is an important aspect in most wheelchair court sports, commonly measured with an indoor tracking system (ITS) or wheelchair bound inertial sensors (WMPM). Both methods provide key wheelchair mobility performance outcomes regarding speed.

Study aim: To compare speed profiles of both ITS and WMPM methods to gain insight into the level of agreement, for recommendations regarding future performance measurement.

Methods:

Data were obtained from 5 male highly trained wheelchair basketball players during match play. Players were equipped simultaneously with a tag on the footplate for the indoor tracking system (∼8 Hz) and inertial sensors on both wheels and frame (199.8 Hz). Data were collected in several matches with varying field sizes, but activity profiles closely resembled regular match play.

Main findings:

  • Both systems provide similar outcomes regarding distance covered and average speed.
  • Due to differences in sampling frequency and sensor location (reference point) on the wheelchair (for speed calculation), minor differences were revealed at low speeds (<2.5 m/s).
  • The ITS may be more beneficial for analysis with a focus on field position, enabling wheelchair mobility performance analysis split by game specific characters.
  • The WMPM may be better suited for acceleration profiles as it provides more detailed kinematic data, allowing for analyses regarding accelerations, rotations, and push characteristics.
  • Since both systems provide complementary features, a hybrid solution could serve as the new gold standard for mobility performance measurement in wheelchair basketball or wheelchair court sports in general.

Reference:

van der Slikke RMA, Mason BS, Berger MAM, Goosey-Tolfrey VL. Speed profiles in wheelchair court sports; comparison of two methods for measuring wheelchair mobility performance. J Biomech. 2017 Dec 8;65:221-225. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2017.10.040.

 

Image credit: © Paralympics GB