YUZURU HANYU – THESIS - 2021

A Feasibility Study on Utilization in Figure Skating by A Wireless Inertia

Sensor Motion Capture System

Yuzuru Hanyu

（School of Human Sciences, Waseda University）

Abstract

The wireless inertia sensor type motion capture does not interfere with the operation
of the device wearer. As a result of the experiment, it became clear that when jumping
figure skating on the skating rink the position of each joint can be accurately obtained.
In addition, by analyzing the skeleton, it is possible to identify the center of gravity and
the contact points（where the pressure increases on the ground and the part where it
is installed），and the jump strictly follows the rules. It was possible to quantitatively
clarify whether the jump was strictly according to the rules.

Key Words：Figure Skating, Wireless Inertia Sensor, Motion Capture, Feasibility Study

１．INTRODUCTION
In 2007, the Dutch company Xsens developed an inertial sensor consisting of an angular velocity meter and
an acceleration sensor. In 2007, Xsens, a Dutch company, developed an inertial sensor system, which consists
of an angular velocity meter and an acceleration sensor, and fixes them at important points on the body
(before and after the main joints).

In 2007, Xsens, a Dutch company, announced a motion capture system with wireless and inertial sensors, in
which inertial sensors, consisting of angular velocity meters and accelerometers, are placed at key points on
the body (before and after the major joints), and the information obtained from the inertial sensors is
transmitted wirelessly to a computer for processing. Today, sensors are becoming smaller and more accurate.
In this article, we describe a wireless, inertial-sensor motion capture system that can be used for recording.

In this article, we discuss the possibility of acquiring the movements of skaters in a chair skating rink, and the
possibility of their use.

In the world of figure skating there is a lot of discussion about refereeing (scoring method). In recent years.
Figure skating has become increasingly difficult in recent years, making it very difficult for judges to
accurately judge jumps, which are performed in a single second. In addition, the criteria for evaluating jumps,
although clearly stated, are often ambiguous and are largely left to the discretion of the games judges. In
addition to the difficulty of the jumps, there are 6 positive and 20 negative elements that are judged. Of
course, one has to evaluate not only jumps, but also turns, steps and non-skills. Even if we subtract the
unskilled parts, we have to judge almost as many evaluation items as the positive and negative items of the
jumps, 7 in the short program and 12 in the free skating. Moreover, in competitions such as the World
Championships, the same number of judges has to judge all performances of about 30 judges to avoid
unfairness due to changes of criteria. Therefore, the burden on the judges is immeasurable. Moreover, as the
rules are changed every year, the judges have to learn the latest rules every time and evaluate all the elements
in a time of one or two seconds as a matter of course. How much time do they have to make calm decisions?
Is it possible to evaluate every element of every athlete according to the Guidelines? At present, I think that
the evaluation criteria are neglected, because the jumps are becoming more and more difficult. Especially, the
evaluation at the time of ice release of the jumps is very vague, and seems to be left completely to the

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 YUZURU HANYU – THESIS - 2021

discretion of the judges. In fact, some athletes have complained about the judges' judgments in interviews.

I have been practicing in Canada, but I have been going through trial and error with the rules, and discussing
how to jump, what kind of jumps to jump, and what kind of skills to have, when I see the results of
competitions. In this situation, if we can record the detailed movements of figure skating jumps, we can see
the jumps and skating styles we should aim for, and figure skating will develop more.

2．EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
The motion capture system used was PERCEPTION NEURON2.0 made by NOITOM.
The PERCEPTION NEURON2.0 can freely decide the number of small sensors (12.5 mm x 13.1 mm x 4.3
mm, approximately 1 g) to be attached, up to 31 (Fig. 1). In this study, we measured with the maximum
number of 31 sensors. The software used for the analysis was AXIS NEURON (Axis Neuron version:
3.8.42.8591, Calculation engine version: 3.2.2.7251).
The PC used was an Apple MacBook Pro (15-in, 2016).
Processor: Intel Core i7 at 2.6 GHz
Memory: 16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3
Graphics: Radeon Pro 450 2 GB, Intel HD Graphics 530 1536
MB
Operating system: MacOS Mojave version 10.14.6
In Wi-Fi mode, we use a mobile battery, which has two USB
ports and 10000mAh capacity, manufactured by MOXNICE.
The size of the battery is about 82 x 82 x 15mm, the weight is
about 160g, and the output power is 5V/2.1A.
The small sensor has the possibility of being detached from the
wear belt by centrifugal force, and the possibility of the small
sensor being damaged by scattered ice water droplets.
Therefore, we
Figure 1. Example of the number of small
sensors installed secured the
tether belt and
the small sensor with silicone waterproof tape in advance, and
took measures against waterproofing and centrifugal force. Since this experiment was to be conducted in ice,
the following factors were cited as concerns:
(1) The rink size is about 30×60m, so if you skate using a large area of the rink, the radio may be
interrupted, or the data may not be measured correctly.
(2) The sensor can be defeated by centrifugal force when jumping, and can be scattered.
(3) Rotational speed around the vertical axis is very high, which may cause measurement error.
(4) Low track temperature may cause measurement error.
(5) Moisture in the link could cause a failure..
Since all of these could not be known without testing, we thought we would observe the situation and make
improvements while implementing the system.
Before starting the measurement of jumps in earnest, I performed a step sequence (an element in which steps
and turns are performed in succession) of one of my programs about twice as a test, changed the skating speed
and the speed of body movements with flexibility, while repeating the calibration according to the situation.
In the jump, accelerate by centrifugal force while sliding the edge of the ice, and use the momentum for the
rotation and power of the jump, which is a basic jump in figure skating. The flip jump, which is a jump to
release from the ice forcefully upward by digging the toe of the right foot (the serrated part of the front of the
blade) into the ice and abruptly stopping its momentum and speed of linear motion. These two types of jumps
have completely different mechanisms for triggering ice release, and we expected that there would be many
differences when comparing them.
We also decided to perform Axel jumps, because Axel jumps are completely different from these two jumps
and other jumps, and are the only jumps that take off from the ice in front and land backwards while turning.
We performed a one-turn jump to confirm basic moves, a three-turn jump to require some skills, and a three-
and-a-half-turn Axel jump, which has the highest number of revolutions among Axel jumps today. Although
challenging due to centrifugal force, weight, and motion limitation, we thought it was necessary to know if we
could measure the three-and-a-half Axel jumps with the motion capture of the inertial sensor, while taking

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 YUZURU HANYU – THESIS - 2021

care of damage, fall, and injury. Hence, we decided to perform the jump. Therefore, we performed the
following jumps twice each: a one-turn loop jump, a one-turn flip jump, a one-and-a-half-turn axel jump, a
three-turn loop jump, a three-turn flip jump, and a three-and-a-half-turn axel jump.

3．EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
As a test on ice, we first performed a step sequence (an element in which successive steps and turns are
performed) to see how data could be obtained. What we paid particular attention to was the uncertainty factor.
The ground data measurement was done close to the PC and also close to the router, but the extent to which
the data would be affected by distance was unknown. However, the results were very good. These data were
obtained with the highest accuracy. In taking this data, the ability of the sensor to track the direction and angle
of the edge and turn became very high and reliable. In the AXIS NEURON output of the model, the grounded
foot joints were shown in red, which also performed well. In the step sequence, most of the time is spent with
one foot, and the ungrounded foot usually moves with a high degree of freedom. However, we managed to
show the grounded foot with hardly any glitches. However, this is a weak point of the inertial sensor, but
sliding without walking motion is inertial, so the horizontal motion data could not be measured, and the
output data was shown as if it stayed there. However, the foot motion itself was observed as if it were sliding,
so there is a possibility that only coordinate motion was not performed.

In the axel and a half jump, the behavior of the arms and the swinging motion of the right foot were altered,
but there were no other strange behaviors.
In the triple and half Axel jump, I felt that there was a very high risk of falling, and a possibility of the sensor
being blown off, but it was very stable when I performed it. The height and distance data for the jumps, which
have a large inertia factor, were not good, but the rotation tracked well. Since we were able to show that we
could track the rotation speed of 3.5rpm, we can do the same for quadruple jumps. Furthermore, there was no
effect on the apparatus, and we felt that it would be possible to measure quadruple jumps with the apparatus,
if it were properly fixed and waterproofed, with the skill and familiarity of the subjects.

Data measured with PERCEPTION NEURON 2.0

The data measured with the PERCEPTION NEURON 2.0 have a function called "Contact points" when they
are output by the AXIS NEURON. This is a function that displays in red, as shown in Fig. 2, the points at
which the pressure increases in the area where the instrument is placed on the ground. It is also possible to
apply contact points to the hand and the vertebrae of the spine.
In the step sequence, there were many turns, etc., but we
were able to observe the movement of the center of gravity,
edge location, and edge angle. Since the sensation and edge
angle were consistent with the data, it can be said that this
function works well (Fig. 3).
In the image on the left in Fig. 3, we can see that the load is
on the right
Figure 2. Contact points on the foot sole foot
(Noitom, 2020).
because the right foot is shown in red, and that the load
is on the outside of the heel as a finding, but from below. I had not paid much attention to this feature until I
analyzed the data, but I found these features to be extremely useful in judging the
jumps, including the fact that the ankle joint of the stepping foot is shown in red
at the time of the step just before the ice release.

The loop jump is jumped by centrifugal force with the right foot, but there are
some skaters who jump slowly before jumping, i.e. they do Figure 1. Horizontal (left) and vertical (right) views
not release from the ice, but accumulate the number of of a section of the step sequence.
revolutions before releasing from the ice. This is not a
correct technique, but a bad jump, which has not been correctly applied because there is no criterion for
judging the release from the ice, although the current judging system clearly states that this involves a
deduction of points. However, poor jumps are now widespread, and the difficulty of the jumps themselves has
changed significantly. Some coaches take this as a good thing and promote poor jumps because there is no
point deduction. With the center of gravity function, it is easy to see where the ice has not come out. By
quantifying this, setting a standard for the angle of the edge before coming off the ice, and setting the time

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and other parameters in the computer, it is possible to make a numerical judgment based on fair criteria and
not the human eye. I consider this a great discovery in today's world of figure skating.

In the Flip jump, there is a rule that you have to jump on the inside. To distinguish between them, the ISU
(International Skating Union) defines a Flip jump as a jump performed on the inside and a Lutz jump as a
jump performed on the outside. If a competitor passes on
the outside while performing a Flip jump, a point will be
deducted. This is true, but there are differences from match
to match (and from referee to referee), even though there is
a clear rule. In addition, current judges are physically
limited to see from only one direction, and some program
choreographers and skater coaches place flip and lutz jumps
in the judges' blind spots. This is not really discerning the
Figure 4. Left: jump of 1 rotation, right: jump of 3 extreme. However, with this feature, you can clearly judge
rotations.
that your center of gravity is in if it is closer to the thumb
side, and out if it is closer to the pinky side. In fact, in the flip jump in our sample, we can clearly see that it
goes inside on the one-turn jump, but goes outside on the three-turn jump (Fig. 4). This will allow judges to
make judgments according to fair standards, rather than their visual judgments. Recently, there are some
jumps that are not on the toe, but the edge is on the ice, and they stay on the ice longer than the original step,
to make a rotation. This is also a bad jump, the ISU clearly states that this is also a point deduction, but it is
often not taken into consideration. This pattern is not deducted in most cases, nor is it subject to the lack of
rotation, so some clubs take the initiative to teach it.

Figure 2. Flip jump

This is also easy to judge by the long red indicator on the

supporting
foot after the
toe. The flip
jump is
performed by
sliding
backward
with the left
foot and
striking the
toe of the right foot against the ice (Fig. 5), while the loop Figure 3. Loop jump
jump is performed by sliding backward with the right foot and

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 YUZURU HANYU – THESIS - 2021

making a sharp turn to generate centrifugal force, which is related to rotation and jumping power (Fig. 6). It is
possible to perform a flip jump very similar to a loop jump, although they are essentially different jumps with
completely different theories and appearances. It is a flip jump with the right foot on the edge of the ice, not
on the toe, which is almost the same principle as a loop jump, and it is also possible to make a rotation before
the ice release, which is not possible in the original flip jump. Since it is not such a steep jump in this sample,
the right foot did not appear red after the toe and before the ice release. However, for the triple jump, the right
foot was shown in red for a moment before release from the ice. That is, the timing of the right foot tends to
increase gradually when the number of revolutions is increased. In comparison, loop jumps are clearly longer
on the right foot and are shown in red. This is a natural result, but in a bad flip jump, this phenomenon also
occurs on the right foot of the flip jump. From this red time, we can measure how much the center of gravity
is in the right foot and how much it is turning. By averaging them, we can measure the ideally jumping
elephant, and make a tolerance standard, and clarify where the poor jump is. The same phenomenon may
occur with Lutz jumps and Toe Loop jumps (Fig. 6), and also with Loop, Salcow and Axel jumps, which may
require long rotational movements before ice release. However, we believe that this will eradicate the
difference in standards between judges for bad steps for all jumps, and therefore reduce the number of bad
steps, and increase the number of jumps that are originally regulated.

Overall, we consider that the data of the movements up to the moment of jumping are obtained with
extremely good accuracy. If we can obtain the data at the moment of jumping, we can judge the type of
jumps, and the points to be subtracted, which cannot be followed with the eyes, and which have different
criteria from one person to another. It may not be possible for one person's jumps, but if the ISU and other
organizations force the federations of leading countries to take data from their athletes, little by little, and do
AI, it seems that it is possible to make full technical judgments, not only for jumps, but also for steps and
turns. However, there are still many questions about landing data. The accuracy of knee angle and rotation
angle at landing is doubtful. Therefore, at present, it is difficult to automate the judgment of the number of
rotations. However, it is not necessary to rely on this technology, since it is possible to prepare several
cameras and judge the landing point by slowing down the video from any visible angle.
In figure skating, this motion capture is extremely useful.
４．DEBATE • SUMMARY
As an example of the use of computer technology in figure skating, we conducted an experimental study
using inertial and wireless motion capture. In this experiment, it was found that motion capture technology is
useful for quantitative analysis of jumps in figure skating. It could be used not only for technical innovation,
but also for distance learning.
Currently, one of the most important issues in the field of machine learning is the estimation of the 3D
skeleton of a human body from a single video camera image has already achieved practical accuracy in 2D
skeleton estimation, and it is expected that 3D skeletons can be estimated with sufficient accuracy in real time
within a few years (Kato, 2019a,b). However, the training datasets used in these machine learning methods
are based on various everyday activities, such as "making a phone call" or "walking", using large-scale optical
motion capture. It is inadequate to create a model to detect the unique movements of figure skating (Ionescu,
Papava, Olaru, & Sminchisescu, 2014).
Using a motion capture system with wireless inertial sensors, as used here, in a real skating rink, synchronized
with video image capture, it is possible to create a dataset dedicated to estimating the unique movements of
figure skating. Estimation of the 3D skeleton from video images can be achieved with high accuracy by
training on the dataset created in this way. In this way, motion capture data can be obtained from images
taken from television broadcasts, etc., without the use of special equipment such as the sensors used in this
experiment.

*Note*
This article is a partially revised version of "Application and Future Prospects of Motion Capture Technology
in Figure Skating (Yuzuru Hanyu's 2020 Graduation Thesis, School of Human Sciences, Waseda
University)".

Translation by @jfilwyh
 YUZURU HANYU – THESIS - 2021

Translation by @jfilwyh