Development of an Inertial Sensor Module for Categorizing Anomalous Kicks in Taekwondo and Monitoring the Level of Impact

Abstract

In this study, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor module and software algorithm were developed to identify anomalous kicks that should not be given scores in Taekwondo competitions. The IMU sensor module was manufactured with dimensions of 3 cm × 3 cm × 1.5 cm and consists of a high-g sensor for high acceleration measurement, a 9-DOF sensor, and a Wi-Fi module for wireless communication. In the experiment, anomalous kicks and normal kicks were collected by the IMU sensor module, and an AI model was trained. The anomalous kick determination accuracy of the trained AI model was found to be 97.5%. In addition, in order to check whether the strength of a blow can be distinguished using the IMU sensor module, an impact test was performed with a pendulum under the same test conditions as the impact sensor installed in the impact test setup, and the correlation coefficient was 0.99. This study is expected to contribute to improving scoring reliability by suggesting the possibility of discriminating anomalous kicks, which were difficult to judge in Taekwondo competitions, through the analysis of Taekwondo kicks using inertial data and impulses.

When Taekwondo Meets Artificial Intelligence: The Development of Taekwondo

“…In particular, taekwondo was selected as a core sport in the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, contributing to the improvement of Republic of Korea's image and its advancement, and it was firmly established as one of the best cultural content brands in Republic of Korea [7]. However, frequent disputes have taken place concerning the fairness of decisions in taekwondo matches, raising issues regarding referee decisions.…”

“…Accordingly, in 2009, the Korea Taekwondo Association adopted the use of electronic chest protectors in taekwondo, which incorporates various technology trends to assist in preventing errors for hit scores due to the increase in quantified objective evaluation indicators in international sports competitions and provide objective criteria for effectively coping with referee shortages [8]. The adoption of electronic chest protectors can increase the integrity of referee decisions, minimize in-match delays due to video replays, and address scoring and decision-making distrust [7]. However, repeated mechanical defects and errors in the early stage of adoption warrant the need to identify the electronic protectors' problems and to continuously develop software (S/W).…”