Title: Wearable Sports Trainer

INTRODUCTION

Technology has allowed flexibility to use user centered design solutions for several types of industries. A
rapid amount of growth for quantified or measurable trend has been used by the customers everyday whether
it is any domain including fitness, health or in relation to the work. Wearable devices refer to a, “wearable
computers that is operated through mobile internet connection and wore as personal wear of like accessories
to showcase information for users in an intelligent and efficient manner including glasses and wearable
watches” [1]. In addition to that, wearable devices could be used for three types of users as per categories. As
per functionality, first user is who wants to get notification for information across the globe. For example,
smart watches, eye glasses as well as creation of augmented virtual realities [2]. Whereas, second type of
users include sensors which will track and record information. As well as, sports wearables are the third
category which is mainly used by athletes. Approximately, 50 percent of unit sales in wearable technology
marketplace includes contribution for sports from 61m to 157m units in the year 2020 [3].

Wearable sports technology is a very active participant to check the athlete health while playing any kind of
sports. Wearables that have sensors monitors the body functioning as gather understanding over a person’s
body movements [4]. The sports trainers require such as mechanic to check to measure performance level
and accuracy of a particular sports players effectively. Furthermore, there are several other sorts of tasks
which wearable sports technology could accomplish. For example, data collection and measuring for
particular sports athlete could relate to one’s desire for maximize their ability to gather more information for
tracking [5]. Another useful impact of sensor technology is measurement of capability for sports professional
player. Furthermore, if an athlete will check their own routine by learning more about themselves, lifestyle
changes could be made effective. The wearable technology equipment integrated with sensors showcase how
wearable technology could be used by sports trainers. Henceforth, sensor technology is mainly used for
keeping tracks for sports athlete by their trainers

On the other hand, wearable technology applications in sports appear is several types. One of the most
effective wearable technology uses include body worn devices on wrist, but other include sensors embedded
equipment and smart textiles [6]. The purpose for such innovative and different approaches to use wearable
technology in sports field is enabling coaches and trainers to adopt monitoring and performance evaluation
framework. As a result, to have a best possible way to check athlete performance is an effective mechanism.

The wearable sports technology is completely based on sensor equipment integration to the final result. The
equipment for trainer evaluation embedded into device seems a better outcome as compared to wrist won
sensor into matches for American football as well as Ice hockey. In such sports, sensors could be placed on
the shoulder, pads, helmets so that meaningful information for athletes could be achieved. Furthermore,
location for sensor placement is a compulsory technology on which wearables for sports are functioned
effectively [7]. The sensors are placed inside football boots so that performance evaluation from obtaining
information could be done effectively. Thus, sensors technology is extremely effective to monitor how the
feet is working through biomechanical movements so that athlete will understand their playing. Therefore,
wearable sports will be effective for trainers to improve athlete’s performance to play with help of self-
learning into human centered design.

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

As per literature review, wearable technology is currently an emerging concept. From the perspective of
consumer research, several studies have emphasized the use of wearable into sports domain. The research
showcase that from consumer perception and attitudes towards wearable technology is very propagating and
acceptance largely [8]. In addition to that, in context to the health and sports related wearable technologies
the acceptance is much higher among the consumer perceptions. However, wearable technology is extremely
complex because it will combine clothing characteristics, comfort issues or aesthetics as well as electric
properties like durability and usability. Therefore, wearables for sports has limited but accepted scope in the
background study and does not bother for expansion.

The market-oriented research showcases that fitness and lifestyle products such as wearables for sports will
have a huge increment. These products will have an immediate growth over new innovative sectors and
scope over crossovers into multiple industries. Several types of industries will adopt wearable technologies
on whole. For example, gaming is extremely reputable industry and could easily adopt wearable gadgets.
Another example include emergence towards virtual and augmented reality in which wearables have huge
scope to increase and emerge a user into product and experience completely [9]. Furthermore, wearable
technology will also have a large scope for allowing senses through haptics providing a complete authentic
feel for experiences. Henceforth, different types of innovations in wearable technology could help the public
in distinct ways. For example, using sensors technology in wearables will offer tracking of an athlete’s
workout routines and their performance evaluation is done [10]. Thus, wearable technologies are offering
several innovations including gaming, virtual and augmented reality, sports and fitness for consumers based
on different uses and perceptions. Furthermore, the technology such as sensor is extremely easy to integrate
with wearables so that medical and fitness sectors could use it immediately. Lastly, existing technologies and
sensors could be used so that desired feedback could be obtained from users effectively.

Now that, wearable technology in general is discussed into review of existing studies. The role of wearable
technology into sports is considered greatest importance because everyone will have equal benefit. For
example, for both coaches and athletes’ wearables could have advantage over improvement of athletic
performance and avoiding risks over injuries. In context to the coaching and training process, as per studies it
refers to a process in which every coach and athlete will support every personal interest for trainers settings
[11]. Additionally, to support this training wearables are considered in a much larger scope. Furthermore,
ambiguity could be removed which arises to develop, assess and optimize performance of a particular athlete.
Therefore, with wearable sports technology, it’s technique and approach it will be helpful for trainer to
understand, evaluate and select a sports person based on their own expertise, experience and background.
Additionally, with propagation and adoption of wearables into sports will help to overcome different issues.
For example, a video analysis could be done in which angles for game strategy could be measured to develop
performance based on factual data instead on trainer’s critical analysis. However, if even such approaches are
presented it is extremely important to support athletes with real time feedback. Therefore, sports are now
adopting wearable sensors to make it extremely innovative in nature.

There are several other features which are integrated within technology in context to the sports technology.
In addition to that, Australian football through Global Positioning System (GPS) devices which allows
energy expenditure analysis which was done before with heart rate monitors [12]. Furthermore, heart rate
single handedly is not an accurate method and thus requires adoption of workload definition so that speed
and distance at the time of a game is achieved effectively. Thus, in GPS tracking devices placed on back will
be used to measure the different amount of work done as per different player position as well as intensity of
game level On the other hand, the inverse relationship proposed between team success and player workload
is also accomplished by the use of such devices effectively [13]. The purpose of wearable sensors for
American football will be monitoring concussions, measuring angular head accelerations which are impactful
on others. Furthermore, sensors are also integrated with helmet linings, mouth guards, as well as showcasing
a key factor for usage in training and competition. Additionally, a study tested two systems in which 95%
were found from impacts so that data could be helpful effectively. Furthermore, injury prevention can also be
determined for sports such as baseball and volleyball where there is a problem with the shoulder overuse
injuries or athletes and the coach's quantifiable information detection process.

With the help of moving visuals through wearable technologies, coaches could easily monitor different types
of athletes in playing volleyball in real time as well as using vert inertial measurement unit or IMU system to
quantify and jump height accurately within concerns of camera views [14]. Furthermore, vert IMU will be
available parallel to other systems such as kinexon sensor which is useful to sports like basketball. As a
result, acceleration for players for motion sensors and haptic feedback will be calculated. The IT enabled
wearable technology is also used for medicines in sports as per literature studies reviewed before. For
example, data generated from wearable devices connected to IT will offer information in context to
performance for injuries as well as player position into playing games [15]. Henceforth, use of IT integrated
with field-based team sports is completely effective to determine speed, position, and distance of athletes
during playing games.

In addition to that, current studies are expanding for this work for checking data resources which are
physiological like heart rate, magnitude and contact. Additionally, a soft tissue injury is currently popular for
injury which athletes have approximately 55% of all injuries [16]. Furthermore, injuries from muscle is less
than 90 percent due to contusions and strains adversely [16]. The most severe types of pains could be
minimized effectively; for example, chronic pain. Furthermore, some injuries are caused by dehydration,
improper treatment due to clearly poor tracking feature. Henceforth, next wearable devices could fix and
design or develop to alleviate the injuries effectively. Lastly, wearables could also have major concussions
which will remain a major issue in the sports. Currently, devices placed on the marketplace do not have
detection and monitoring forces so that game exertion is detected. Therefore, the development of the
wearables to measure the forceful impact of minimization to concussions and reduction for Chronic
Traumatic Encephalopathy for reducing trauma into the patients [16]. On the other hand, these devices are
capable of measuring such as biometric stress, strain and impact forceful and bio vital signs.

HOW IT WORKS

Wearable athletic devices have several shapes and sizes and require continuous developments. In addition to
that, devices have a similar work condition and are connected to IT platforms. Furthermore, wearable sports
technology is combined into sports apparel fabrics and into sports equipment such as balls and bats as well as
worn by athletes are attached within small devices connected under the waistband and skin patch. In context
to connectivity, devices are connected to the Bluetooth and GPS technology. This connection is completely
dependent on real time data from laptops and electronic devices so that analysis, recording and response for
information is processed.

In the below block diagram example for fitness wearable processes, it showcases how information is
recorded from wearable devices. In the below diagram, fitness wearable technology could be actively used
into different applications including weight, calories burned, heart rate, and speed [17]. Additionally, users
contain their own activity monitored through sensors, and get data input for themselves for keeping personal
information related to health. These data are then transferred into a smartphone, cloud-based platform or any
other desktop application. Therefore, data could get processed and thus people could check their health
status. In similar fashion to above block diagram the purpose is to provide information on athlete
performance connected to online cloud platform so that trainers could evaluate their performance, build
strategies as well as reduce injuries for tissues effectively.

In the above diagram, lets understand how a sports user could work it using a wearable sensor technology
integrated into his clothes. First of all, a user will be able to check four options including daily activities to
stay fit, food consumption suitable to his calorie count followed by fitness activities and sleep patterns
effectively. All such minute details are checked so that performance improvements for health and diet on
particular sports players are done. Now, all such options could be found into wearable sports trainers
designed and connected with the smart phone or Bluetooth technology and cloud-based connection and Wi-
Fi technologies. As a result, connectivity is done to check information platforms and the other data for
health-based records. Therefore, the purpose of this technology is to gather how much information obtained
to change habits of the athletes effectively.

BENEFITS AND RISKS

There are several benefits of wearable technologies into sports. One of the important benefits of wearable
include tracking for information in context to life logging. As a result, people will be extremely conscious
about their health and fitness programs. Next wearable usage could be seen in the understanding for patient’s
health records. Furthermore, health issues occur for patients which could be determined with the help of
wearable watches. Another usage is in augmented and virtual reality where using smart glasses will define
future possibilities. In context to the sports domain, wearable technologies will provide athletes the ability to
perform in games. Furthermore, sport injuries could also be cured with integrated gears into device

Wearable technology has another benefit which includes the ability to monitor the fitness levels, track the
location with a global positioning system and see text messages more instantly. In addition to that, different
devices allow the users to use their hands for anything as well as is portable from one place to another.
Additionally, wearable technology eliminates the need to carry a device from one place to another from the
gears. However, before wearables sports athletes could not understand their body level conditions for better
performance into playing games. Furthermore, initially it was sometimes extremely difficult to understand
how less convenient previous evaluation methods were. Another problem was solved when wearables are
able to connect with smart devices so that information transmission is extremely easier and stored on a cloud-
based platform. Henceforth, in context to sports, a trainer could easily set goals and track the progress easily.

There is not only one risk of using the system which exposure of personal information to third parties.
Information security becomes a major issue through which personal data could go into the hands of bigger
and much larger cyber criminals. Even if there are several benefits one of the consequences include minimal
short battery life. On the other hand, some devices such as Fitbit trackers could not last long for more than a
week. As a result, information could not be processed effectively and thus chances of loss could be
identified. In addition to that, the Apple watch cannot last long and thus connectivity with the charger
becomes a dependent feature. Due to such reasons a future prospect is to make changes for battery backup
and eliminate data loss or connectivity issues completely. Whereas, other wearables will measure
information inaccurately making sports athlete performance evaluation extremely wrong. Therefore, if
somebody’ s heart rate is extremely lower and showcases higher then it could impact the sports player
abruptly resulting into health issues. As a result, it will be extremely difficult to trust and use wearables
abruptly for sports.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, the purpose of this study was to gather the usefulness of wearable technology into sports. The
sport is one of activities in which maximum cases of injuries are identified by the coaches. Furthermore,
player performance is also valued effectively to improve game strategies. Wearable technologies are worn on
the body parts so that a person’s body analysis could be accomplished effectively. On the other hand, their
heart rate, temperature and other things could be valued properly. Furthermore, wearable technologies are
highly capable of detecting a person’s health. There are several other applications of such technologies in
fitness, health, injury detection, and sports medicine. Thus, the wearable technology and its application was
discussed in the sports domain.

The review for background literature states that wearable technology adoption is completely dependent on
how it is perceived. Furthermore, wearables are incorporated into sports gear so that information could be
gathered for particular athletes. In addition to that, the sports such as American football often have some
injuries which could be considered with live information. Another purpose is to gather video feeds for
checking how information is used to build gaming strategies. The work process is tracked by connecting the
wearables to online platforms or mobile phones. The coach will then recover information so that he or she
could improve athlete performance. Overall, the purpose of this study was to gather how wearable sports
technology could be used within a better approach in context to the information gathering.

To summarize, a wearable sports technology will have several future prospects if developed fully. For
example, sports issues for injuries could be identified so that better treatments could be offered in football or
basketball as aggressive games. In context to that, wearable technologies are extremely important to upgrade
performance and capture gaming strategies for other players. Now, sports medicine is another future scope
through which information is gained. However, there were several risks which were identified so that
information could not reach the right user. For instance, the data loss due to lack of charging backups could
result in smaller defects and could have an abrupt effect on a user.

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