Spatiotemporal Motion Synchronization for Snowboard Big Air
This addresses a specific training challenge for snowboard athletes and coaches, but it is incremental as it applies conventional techniques to a new domain.
The study tackled the problem of comparing snowboard big air performances by proposing a method for spatiotemporal motion synchronization using existing image processing techniques, enabling athletes to precisely identify slight differences in body movements.
During the training for snowboard big air, one of the most popular winter sports, athletes and coaches extensively shoot and check their jump attempts using a single camera or smartphone. However, by watching videos sequentially, it is difficult to compare the precise difference in performance between two trials. Therefore, side-by-side display or overlay of two videos may be helpful for training. To accomplish this, the spatial and temporal alignment of multiple performances must be ensured. In this study, we propose a conventional but plausible solution using the existing image processing techniques for snowboard big air training. We conducted interviews with expert snowboarders who stated that the spatiotemporally aligned videos enabled them to precisely identify slight differences in body movements. The results suggest that the proposed method can be used during the training of snowboard big air.