Detection of Throwing in Cricket Using Wearable Sensors
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This article was downloaded by: [Griffith University] On: 05 February 2013, At: 16:11 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Sports Technology Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rtec20 Detection of throwing in cricket using wearable sensors Andrew Wixted a , Marc Portus a b , Wayne Spratford c & Daniel James a d a Centre for Wireless Monitoring and Applications, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia b Praxis Sport Science, Paddington, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia c Department of Biomechanics, Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia d Centre of Excellence for Applied Sports Science Research, Queensland Academy of Sport, Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Version of record first published: 26 Sep 2012. To cite this article: Andrew Wixted , Marc Portus , Wayne Spratford & Daniel James (2011): Detection of throwing in cricket using wearable sensors, Sports Technology, 4:3-4, 134-140 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19346182.2012.725409 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. 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Sports Technology, August–November 2011; 4(3–4): 134–140 RESEARCH ARTICLE Detection of throwing in cricket using wearable sensors ANDREW WIXTED1, MARC PORTUS1,2, WAYNE SPRATFORD3, & DANIEL JAMES1,4 1Centre for Wireless Monitoring and Applications, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 2Praxis Sport Science, Paddington, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 3Department of Biomechanics, Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia and 4Centre of Excellence for Applied Sports Science Research, Queensland Academy of Sport, Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (Received 3 August 2012; accepted 27 August 2012) Abstract One of the great controversies of the modern game of cricket is the determination of whether a bowler is using an illegal throw-like bowling action. Changes to the rules of cricket have reduced some of the confusion; yet, because of the complexities of the biomechanics of the arm, it is difficult for an umpire to make a judgement on this issue. Expensive laboratory-based testing has been able to quantify the action of a bowler and this testing is routinely used by cricket authorities to assess a bowling action. Detractors of the method suggest that it is unable to replicate match conditions, has long lead times for assessment and is only available to the elite. After extensive laboratory validation, we present a technology and method for an in-game assessment using a wearable arm sensor for differentiating between a legal bowling action and throwing. The method uses inertial sensors on the upper and lower arms that do not impede the bowling action. Suspect deliveries, as assessed by an expert biomechanist using high-speed video and motion capture, reveal valid distinctive inertial signatures. The technology is an important step in the monitoring of bowling action on-field in near real-time. The technology is suitable for use in competition as well as a training tool for developing athletes. Keywords: cricket, biomechanics, accelerometers, gyroscopes, throwing Because of the difficulty in assessing an illegal Introduction delivery in a fraction of second with the naked eye, The issue of cricketers bowling illegal deliveries, bowlers suspected of illegal deliveries are reported colloquially known as ‘throwing’ or ‘chucking’, by umpires in their post-match report according to a Downloaded by [Griffith University] at 16:11 05 February 2013 has been an emotive issue for many years. The ideal strict protocol. This results in the bowler having to cricket bowling delivery requires the bowler not to undergo a biomechanical analysis of their bowling change the angle (extend) of their elbow through the action in one of only a few internationally approved latter parts of the delivery action. As the bowling biomechanics laboratories. Here, the bowlers’ arm circumducts to the position of ball release, a actions are monitored with motion capture systems, radar and high-speed video within a tolerance of their 158 tolerance threshold is applied to the limit of elbow match-recorded bowling speeds. They are required extension between the arm at the horizontal (parallel to bowl a series of deliveries that include their normal to the ground) and the position of ball release (the last repertoire of deliveries. The assessment uses the moment in time the ball is touching the bowler’s motion capture data, radar data and match video to fingers). This tolerance threshold was introduced in analyse if the bowling action in the laboratory is legal 2005 by the world’s governing body, the International and if the action in the laboratory represents the Cricket Council (ICC), after the assessment of action exhibited when the bowler was reported in biomechanical data from 130 first-class cricket match conditions (ICC, 2010). A typical setup uses bowlers (Portus, Rosemond, & Rath, 2006). approximately 20 motion-capture cameras, 2–3 Correspondence: D. James, Centre for Wireless Monitoring and Applications, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] ISSN 1934-6182 print/ISSN 1934-6190 online q 2011 Crown Copyright http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19346182.2012.725409 Detection of throwing in cricket 135 high-speed cameras and a radar gun. Bowlers are to detect rate information, such as stride or stroke typically ‘marked up’ with more than 20 reflective rate, it does not require calibration. Similarly, markers and bowl in an indoor facility under low- detecting timing between closely timed impact events light conditions. Usually a team of five people are requires no calibration, as the accuracy of activity required to facilitate the data collection and 21 days detection is governed by the accuracy of the system are required written for the data to be collated, oscillators, typically better than 0.01%. interpreted and a report written by the biomechanist While a single-axis accelerometer or a gyroscope (ICC, 2010). can provide useful information in particular circum- The costs in the assessment, travel (often stances, the use of three-dimensional (3D) accel- international) to the approved laboratory, time-out erometers or gyroscopes provides a higher level of from international competition together with the information. Ultimately, the highest level of inertial- time cost of a full biomechanical analysis proves sensor-based information for biomechanical moni- onerous. Additionally, the problem of bowlers using a toring comes from systems of synchronised nodes different action in the laboratory to that used in the of 3D accelerometer–gyroscope combinations. field is also a consideration, thus it was proposed that By combining synchronised sensor nodes with an low-cost inertial sensing may be able to detect illegal understanding of the system being monitored and bowling actions in a ‘real world’ match or cricket- the physics of the situation, complex sequences of training environment. movements can be identified. Depending on the Inertial sensors are an emerging technology that has situation, systems of sensors can use some form of been applied in the pursuit of biomechanical assess- common-mode rejection algorithm. ment of physical activity. Recently developed micro- The combination of using inertial sensors as technologies have been used in athlete performance temporal markers for events, together with combin- monitoring, biomechanical monitoring and physio- ing multiple sensors, extends its capabilities to the logical monitoring in other sports such as swimming monitoring of very fast movements of quite complex (Davey, Anderson, & James, 2008; James, Burkett, & biomechanics; for this reason, it is a likely candidate Thiel, 2011; Kavanagh, Morrison, James, & Barrett, for the monitoring of a bowling or throwing arm. 2006), snowboarding (Harding, Mackintosh, Martin, & James, 2008) and running (Wixted, Billing, & James, 2010; Wixted et al., 2007). Theory Accelerometers measure changes in motion in three dimensions and are only millimetres in size. Bowling requires a nearly rigid elbow during the Through numerical integration and appropriate delivery motion from when the elbow reaches the filtering, velocity and displacement can be calcu- level of the shoulder (the start of the ‘arm action’) to lated. It is well understood that the determination of ball release (the end of the