Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, along with Inspire Institute of Sport, Vijayanagar in Ballari district of Karnataka, are developing a cost-effective boxing analytics platform “Smartboxer”.
The platform will analyse the boxers’ performance at the IIS and researchers at the IIT’s Centre of Excellence for Sports Science and Analytics will provide feedback and performance assessment using Internet of Things (IoT) enabled wearable sensors and video cameras.
Coaches and boxers will use the changes incorporated into the Smartboxer during the training sessions. In June, IIT Madras’ Sports Sciences and Analytics Centre signed an agreement with Sports Authority of India to make the country self-reliant in sports technology and high-performance sports equipment.
SAI has shortlisted archery, boxing, shooting, badminton, wrestling, hockey, weightlifting, cycling and athletics to improve medal tally in Olympics 2024.
Ranganathan Srinivasan, head, Centre of Excellence for Sports Science and Analytics and adjunct faculty in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras, said: “Smartboxer is one of the many alternatives of IIT Madras aimed towards the Indian government’s ambitious goal of winning more medals in Olympics.”
John Warburton, head of Youth Development (Boxing) at IIS, said: “We will be able to highlight to the boxers their strength and areas that require development such as patterns of movement, activity levels, punch and defensive repertoires, technically and tactically.”
Babji Srinivasan, associate professor in the Department of Applied Mechanics at IIT-M, said the system would integrate data and video streams and multiple IoT devices. The information from the data would provide fight analytics that would help not only coaches but also judges quantify the key traits of boxing champions.
IoTs include sensor-embedded gloves to analyse punch force; wireless foot insole with pressure sensor to record ground reaction force; wireless sensors to record a player’s lower body movement and inertial measurement unit to record upper body movement. Boxing ring video cameras will help classify players arm movements.
The researchers plan to apply for patent for Smartboxer after IIS validates it.
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