The Use of Wearable Sensors in Human Movement Analysis in Non-Swimming Aquatic Activities: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The use of smart technology, specifically inertial sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers), to analyze swimming kinematics is being reported in the literature. However, little is known about the usage/application of such sensors in other human aquatic exercises. As the sensors are getting smaller, less expensive, and simple to deal with (regarding data acquisition), one might consider that its application to a broader range of exercises should be a reality. The aim of this systematic review was to update the state of the art about the framework related to the use of sensors assessing human movement in an aquatic environment, besides swimming. The following databases were used: IEEE Xplore, Pubmed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science. Five articles published in indexed journals, aiming to assess human exercises/movements in the aquatic environment were reviewed. The data from the five articles was categorized and summarized based on the aim, purpose, participants, sensor’s specifications, body area and variables analyzed, and data analysis and statistics. The analyzed studies aimed to compare the movement/exercise kinematics between environments (i.e., dry land versus aquatic), and in some cases compared healthy to pathological participants. The use of sensors in a rehabilitation/hydrotherapy perspective may provide major advantages for therapists.

Verification of reliability of measurement systems for swimming analysis

“…Accelerometers undergo drifts (Stamm et al, 2013;Dadashi et al, 2012), which reduce the accuracy of measurements and must be compensated. The method of mounting the accelerometer to the swimmer's body and the larger dimensions of the IMU may have a greater effect on the accuracy of the measurement due to the greater hydrodynamic resistance (Marinho et al, 2019). That is why we keep working to reduce the dimensions (Figure 2) and optimize the attachment of the SwIMU to the belt to prevent unwanted movements due to the flowing water between the swimmer's body and the measuring device.…”

“…Currently, the method of measuring the movement of swimmers using inertial sensors is perceived to be more effective than tachometric devices, mainly due to the possibility of a more detailed analysis of movement and measurement in three axes. Several studies have addressed the accuracy of IMU-based measurement methods (Marinho et al, 2019;Stamm et al, 2013;Dadashi et al, 2012).…”

“…Accuracy studies point to the main advantages of IMU swimming measurements: simple and fast preparation of measurements including calibration, less time-consuming processing of measured data with the possibility of automation using various algorithms, and the possibility of more detailed recording and analysis of motion in three axes. On the other hand, the studies pointed to problems related to wireless communication in the aquatic environment that complicate the analysis of real-time data, and the need for high-quality attachment of sensors to the swimmer's body (Marinho et al, 2019;Stamm et al, 2013;Dadashi et al, 2012).…”

Hydrotheraphy terhadap Spastik Otot Anak Cerebral Palsy di Sekolah Luar Biasa

“…Hydroteraphy adalah pilihan yang baik untuk pengelolaan fungsi motorik pada pasien cerebral palsy, yang ditandai adanya gangguan neuromotor dengan membatasi kemampuan untuk melakukan motorik kasar dan motorik halus, dengan demikian akan mencegah aktivitas yang melelahkan, serta akan mencegah terjadinya iritasi akibat gesekan pada anak-anak karena aktivitas di dalam air atau berolahrga di dalam kolam (Fatima & Rashaquat, 2019). Hydrotherapy memanfaatkan sifat air (tekanan hidrostatik, daya apung, viskositas, dan termodinamika) dikombinasikan dengan efek biomekanik saat dalam perendaman air memberikan beberapa membantu tubuh manusia dengan meringankan dan mengurangi hambatan saat melakukan gerakan/olahraga di dalam air (Marinho et al, 2019). Fatimah dalam penelitiannya menyampaikan Hydroteraphy memiliki efek positif pada pasien cerebral palsy dibandingkan dengan latihan berbasis darat (Fatima & Rashaquat, 2019).…”

Wearable technologies for monitoring aquatic exercises: A systematic review

“… 16 , 17 Currently, systematic investigations of underwater motion remain scarce: two reviews explored the literature on surface electromyography for exercises and gait in water, and for deep water running, 18 , 19 while Heywood et al 20 focused on spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters in water. Lastly, Marinho et al 21 surveyed the use of wearable Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) for underwater human monitoring for non-swimming activities.…”