Analysis underwater

Our analysis systems are universally video-based. Cameras can either be installed directly in the pool inside of underwater boxes or outside of pools’ windows. Of course also an above-the-water view in a side-on position can be expedient. Whilst for a 2D analysis one camera is sufficient, a 3D analysis would require at least two cameras.

You can get the complete system directly from us, including setup, calibration and training.

In what way does Simi differ from other suppliers?

The waterproof and colored LED markers that we specially developed for Aktisys allow an automatic analysis of the movement underwater.

Moreover in case of using our software Simi Motion you can also work markerless, which is especially useful for the high performance and professional field, since markers cause a certain water flow resistance or might even be ripped off by the current of a countercurrent swimming machine/endless pool. In this case you can use any kind of contrast marking on the swimmer instead of markers or let pixel patterns be tracked dynamically (also called pattern matching).

Video recordings under water often have the problem of being too dark or having not enough contrast to track the Markers automatically. The “Image Processing Pipe” integrated into Simi Motion is the perfect solution for this problem. Through special algorithms for image processing the videos can be brightened up or contrast can be increased in post-processing.

Swim Analysis

Talking about analysis in swimming buzzwords differ from “swimming analysis”, “swim analysis”, “swim technique analysis”, “swim stroke analysis” and more. This just depends on your analysis’ goal or purpose. Our systems can be used for all kinds of evaluations.

There is a particular technique and movement pattern to every style of swimming (breaststroke, front crawl, backstroke, butterfly…), which has to be learned. With our systems the swimming style of a swimmer can be analyzed in slow-mo and thereby lapses can be detected and improved. This surely contains the individual technique of the swimmer which can be analyzed thoroughly. The exact kinematics of the swimming movement can be measured and evaluated. Not least the body position on the water is crucial for the success in competition. In this manner wrong movements, incorrect positioning, technique deficits, weaknesses or hindrances can be detected and performance be improved.

Analysis of Start and Turning Technique

Particularly the start and turning technique is crucial for being able to win swimming contests. As a matter of course you can also analyze those with our systems. How is the movement executed and how much force is used; what could be improved?

During the start you could analyze the center of the gravity, the take-off and dive-in angle. Also inertial sensors can be attached to the swimmer and analyzed synchronically. Regarding the turning technique you could add an analysis of the force effect with a pressure plate or a force plate.

Movement therapy underwater / swimming as therapy

For the purpose of rehabilitation physical therapists often work with their patients underwater.  Here the impact of forces on the body does have a much lesser extent. The body feels lighter and movements are easier for joints and muscles. Thus our systems are often used for underwater therapy. Often in combination with an underwater treadmill or for the analysis of other movements in order to detect where motions are still not ideal.

Which Simi system is the right choice?

Simi Shape is our markerless system. Particularly for sports like swimming this development was crucial as marker-based analysis is inapplicable especially when it comes to competition analysis. Simi's markerless technology allows in-depth biomechanical analysis without touching the athlete's body or routine. It offers all options of Simi Motion since going markerless is a module for it.

Simi Motion 2D/3D - Motion Capture and complex, biomechanical Movement Analysis - syncable, video-based systemSimi Motion is designed for in-depth analysis in post-processing. Any number of markers or other markings can be integrated into the analysis. Moreover Simi Motion offers the possibility to include other measurement systems like force plates, pressure plates or light barriers into your analysis. Simi Motion is the right choice if you need complex model-based calculations with more than five markers or want to integrate other measurement systems. Simi Motion also offers export functions to programs like Matlab, SPSS, Excel and many more.

Simi Aktisys is the simpler, cheaper and quicker program which can display all captured data in real-time. Up to five markers on the swimmer can be tracked and analyzed in real-time processing speed. This is the right choice for real-time analysis which you need for quick interactions between coach and athlete in training sessions.

Product Information

Should you be interested in any of our products or require further information, we are looking forward to your email to sales@simi.com. Or simply give us a call: +1-312-818-8244.