Artificial Intelligence Can Complete Diagnostics on Physical Exercises

Within the strategic project Human Health in the Age of Digital Transformation of Society of the Priority 2030, SUSU scientists received a patent to create a database of balance indicators of the musculoskeletal system in students. The database will enable artificial intelligence to determine the norms and deviations in assessing the technique of physical exercises performed by an athlete.

The Smart Strength Training Equipment project of the SUSU Institute of Sports, Tourism, and Service is aimed at creating a new generation of training equipment. With the help of artificial intelligence, this equipment will be able to independently determine training loads, monitor the athlete's technique and, if necessary, correct it. The database of balance indicators of the musculoskeletal system of students will be used for accurate diagnostics.

"Human being is a dynamic system: muscles contract, breathing continues, the heart beats. This all causes oscillations, and people cannot stand absolutely still. The brain is constantly receiving information that the position of the centre of mass is changing; in response it switches off some muscles and switches on others to maintain balance. This is what is called postural balance. The database is a reference point for the machine in recognizing a shift in the centre of gravity, such as in back disorders," comments Vitaly Epishev, Director of the Sport Science Research Centre.

The database includes many parameters to assess the state of the musculoskeletal system of students: the position of the centre of pressure and its fluctuations, stability index, the stability index, the dynamic component of balance, and more. Thanks to this database it becomes possible to understand when an exercise is being performed "right" and "wrong".

The database was formed using the results of 1500 examinations recorded on a stabilometric platform from 2011 to 2021. The apparatus recorded the projection of the centre of gravity on the supporting plane and its oscillations when the subject is in different positions. Diagnostic results (stabilogram) were obtained by measuring quantitative indices of the balance function and the ability to control body posture.

750 boys and 750 girls aged 18 to 25 participated in the study. The anonymized results of the study can be useful for the research of scientists in medicine, sport, and education, as well as expert and training systems.

Researchers of the SUSU Institute of Sport, Tourism, and Service and industrial partners OOO Jimnes and OOO Velitek are developing systems for the individual correction of physical health. Previously, one of the elements of the smart trainer was patented.

South Ural State University is a university of digital transformations, where innovative research is conducted in most of the priority fields of science and technology development. In accordance with the strategy of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation, the university is focused on the development of big scientific interdisciplinary projects in the field of digital industry, materials science, and ecology. In 2021 SUSU became the winner in the competition under the Priority 2030 program. The university acts as a regional project office of the World-class Ural Interregional Research and Education Centre (UIREC).

Provided by South Ural State University