Just in time for Spring training. This electronic shirt analyzes a baseball pitcher's throw. That could keep the athletes in good form and reduce injuries, which cost the MLB organization $54 million a year in salary losses.
The shirt was developed by Northeastern engineering students Marcus Moche, Alexandra Morgan and David Schmidt. “The shirt can be used to show when a player becomes fatigued and his mechanics worsen, through a display of real-time information on a monitor in the dugout," said Moche.
The shirt has three sensors, one on the lower back, one on the bicep and one on the forearm, all of which measures the acceleration of the arm on three different axes.
During the testing, the pitcher and catcher provided feedback, which corresponded with the information being caught by the computer. In a real-life situation, the shirt could be worn during exhibition games or during practice, with information being sent to a computer in the bullpen being monitored by coaches.
Other options for pitchers are bulky, expensive and require the baseball players to perform in a laboratory setting. But this shirt is lightweight, form-fitting and gives the pitcher range of motion to throw in a real setting.
The best part is that it's machine washable. Everyone's happy about that part.
The next phase is to make the shirt wireless.
Tags: Physical Fitness, Sensors, Sports, Wearable Computers
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