Griffith University researchers introduce ‘digital athlete’ coaching tool

December 10, 2021

Biomechanical researchers at Griffith University have partnering with the film industry to produce a new generation coaching tool for elite sport which replicates an individual’s anatomy, both inside and out.

With support from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), the prototype ‘digital athlete’ has been developed as a precise visualisation tool to enable coaches and athletes to design highly personalised training, prevent injuries and customise rehabilitation.

Griffith University biomechanical engineer Professor David Lloyd says the combination of big-budget film animation and their functional biomechanical model that replicates and predicts stresses and strains on internal tissues, is ideal for elite athlete preparation.

Professor Lloyd “the animated body model is extremely lifelike thanks to utilising the latest in film scanning technology, but it is the level of accurate detail inside the body that makes the Digital Athlete so unique.

“We’ve built the proof-of-principle digital athlete utilising our platform technology - Personalised Digital Human - using 3D body scans, MRI and motion capture data so we have a really detailed representation of the body shape, bones, joints, muscles and other soft tissues in the daily performance environment.

“It’s really important to have technology supporting athletes when they’re progressing in sport. On the court, you don’t see what’s actually happening inside the body and the strains you might be putting on yourself. By having the digital athlete in place, that’s going to help a lot of athletes figure out what’s actually happening inside their body and put training programs in place.

“The Digital Athlete allows us to understand the unique loading patterns on tissues in real-time during performance, for example a side-step, which is both a common movement and cause of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in the knee.

“This is never-before-seen capability is critical, because each athlete will experience different stresses due to their unique physiology, which we are accurately capturing so we can prevent injury and optimise performance.”

AIS Chief Executive, Peter Conde said the national body was keen to continue working with Griffith researchers to refine the technology and bring more elite athletes through the digital athlete process.

Conde advised “applied research, technology and innovation are critical for the AIS so we can be on the frontiers of ethical sporting performance globally.

“Strategic partnerships, like this one with Griffith University, are about utilising the very best expertise Australia has to offer and applying that innovation to sport.

“Digital Athlete has the potential to be a powerful coaching and analytical tool that will provide elite athletes with state-of-the-art support and a customised training experience. This is about pioneering new opportunities and our international competition will no doubt be watching the progress with interest.”

Australian basketballer Maddison Rocci (pictured) has been the inaugural digital athlete model.

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