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30 July 2002
Darting Ahead
By Caleb McKay
Every now and then, something comes along that has the potential to revolutionize a sport. The aluminum baseball bat. Graphite tennis rackets. The full body swim suit. Now, new technology is set to revolutionize the training process for a number of sports, including gymnastics.
The training technology is from Dartfish, a Swiss company with U.S. headquarters in Atlanta. Chances are, you've seen some of their broadcast and internet applications used during some of the biggest sporting events in the world. Dartfish's SimulCam? technology was used during the Salt Lake City Olympics where 2 skiers were superimposed during their runs to compare slight nuances in their technique that resulted in finishes separated by tenths of a second. These images from alpine ski races were fed to broadcasters around the world including NBC, Eurosport, TSR, and Televisa. NBCOlympics.com also used this technology during the Sydney Olympics to compare the same vaults executed differently by two gymnasts, one with a stuck landing and one with a fall. The technology showed the difference in technique and execution to demonstrate why one was successful and the other suffered a fall. And the company?s StroMotion? technology has been used by ABC and ESPN during figure skating competitions, including the US Championships, to demonstrate to the viewer how a skater approaches a jump and completes the necessary revolutions and a precise landing. The frame-by-frame shots are assembled on one screen so that the viewer recognized the small details of the otherwise invisible movements.
Now, this broadcast technology is making its way into gyms across the country for use in training not only at the elite level, but also in NCAA, recreational, and lower level competitive gymnastics. The training package, called DartTrainer, offers a complete set of video analysis tools to "make what was once invisible now visible". The technology is particularly useful in analyzing tumbling skills as well as routine mounts and dismounts, bar and ring swings, and balance techniques.
How it Works
You've seen it on TV a hundred times. A gymnast finishes a routine and immediately, the coach approaches the athlete and tries to explain in detail, often with a number of hand motions, what went wrong with the execution of a skill and how to correct it. Now, Dartfish's technology allows the athlete to see the routine instantly in training along with the intricate execution details to analyze the skill. The coach?s job of trying to help correct is made infinitely more simple.
DartTrainer software is installed on a PC or laptop and then connected to a digital (DV) camera. The same set of video analysis tools that were seen on NBC, ABC and NBCOlympics.com are then at the disposal of athlete and coach. The program delivers instant and automatic visual feedback that allows the athlete and coach to analyze a skill or routine and view the nuances in execution that make the difference between a hit and a miss.
SimulCam?, a patented video technology, superimposes one athletic movement over another for precise comparisons. It is designed to contrast and compare the position, style and trajectory of two athletes.
StroMotion? creates trajectory video footage revealing the evolution of an athlete's movement, technique, execution and tactics. Athletic movements unfold in time and space by compounding video images into a frame-by-frame sequences which reveals key positions in complex executions.
Acceptance of the new technology has been overwhelmingly positive as have been the results of athletes using the technology. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, there were 45 medals won by athletes who had trained with DartTrainer leading up to the games. The Seattle Mariners used it to improve their batting game with dramatic results. "DartTrainer could be the difference between being in a slump for two weeks or cutting it down to two days," according to Gerald Perry, Hitting Instructor for the Mariners.
DartTrainer is used by the United States Olympic Committee and is currently the official video analysis training software for a number of governing bodies including USA Volleyball, USA Luge, USA Bowling, USA Cycling, and USA Track and Field. It was also recently adopted by USA Gymnastics for the development of elite athletes and to provide fundamental applications to programs across the country.
"Our relationship with Dartfish will provide cutting-edge educational tools that keep our athletes at the forefront of training technology," said Bob Colarossi, USA Gymnastics President. "The Dartfish technology is being widely accepted in other sports, and has great potential for the sport of gymnastics. I encourage all of our coaches and athletes to consider the benefits."
During the 2002 Visa American Cup, Dartfish showcased its technology on the USA Gymnastics website, demonstrating SimulCam? and StroMotion? for coaches, athletes, and fans.
"We were glad to have the opportunity to enhance the experience of spectators using our interactive platform and web applications during the Visa Cup," Victor Bergonzoli, President of Dartfish USA told Inside Gymnastics. "It gives us an opportunity to demonstrate to coaches and athletes the powerful tools that are available to them and it also added a new component for spectators to understand the complexity of the sport."
Most impressed with the technology is Ron Brant, Men's National Team Coordinator for USA Gymnastics. Brant uses the DartTrainer software at every Senior National Team camp and reports that the response has been tremendous. "We use it extensively at our training camps and it has been extremely beneficial for our coaches and athletes," he says. "We have a large projection screen and athletes are able to watch their performance immediately afterwards in three speeds - regular, slow, and super-slow. It gives the athlete and coach an opportunity to view the routine or skill together and discuss why it worked well or didn't work well. After each camp, we also send a video tape to all athletes with their individual performances provided in StroMotion so that they're able to analyze it again in training outside of the camps. We'd like to get (the training systems) into the individual gyms as well."
Athletes and coaches are always looking for that "extra edge". With the US Men fresh off of a Silver Medal team performance and the women bringing home the bronze at the 2001 World Championships, expectations are high for the potential finish at the 2003 World Championships on home soil and the upcoming Athens Olympics in 2004. Along with remaining healthy, the DartTrainer could be that extra edge in helping the U.S. reach its full potential.
Inside Gymnastics Features DartTrainer
In their July/August 2002 edition, Inside Gymnastics Magazine wrote about Dartfish's DartTrainer software. Read the full article below.Darting Ahead
By Caleb McKay
Every now and then, something comes along that has the potential to revolutionize a sport. The aluminum baseball bat. Graphite tennis rackets. The full body swim suit. Now, new technology is set to revolutionize the training process for a number of sports, including gymnastics.
The training technology is from Dartfish, a Swiss company with U.S. headquarters in Atlanta. Chances are, you've seen some of their broadcast and internet applications used during some of the biggest sporting events in the world. Dartfish's SimulCam? technology was used during the Salt Lake City Olympics where 2 skiers were superimposed during their runs to compare slight nuances in their technique that resulted in finishes separated by tenths of a second. These images from alpine ski races were fed to broadcasters around the world including NBC, Eurosport, TSR, and Televisa. NBCOlympics.com also used this technology during the Sydney Olympics to compare the same vaults executed differently by two gymnasts, one with a stuck landing and one with a fall. The technology showed the difference in technique and execution to demonstrate why one was successful and the other suffered a fall. And the company?s StroMotion? technology has been used by ABC and ESPN during figure skating competitions, including the US Championships, to demonstrate to the viewer how a skater approaches a jump and completes the necessary revolutions and a precise landing. The frame-by-frame shots are assembled on one screen so that the viewer recognized the small details of the otherwise invisible movements.
Now, this broadcast technology is making its way into gyms across the country for use in training not only at the elite level, but also in NCAA, recreational, and lower level competitive gymnastics. The training package, called DartTrainer, offers a complete set of video analysis tools to "make what was once invisible now visible". The technology is particularly useful in analyzing tumbling skills as well as routine mounts and dismounts, bar and ring swings, and balance techniques.
How it Works
You've seen it on TV a hundred times. A gymnast finishes a routine and immediately, the coach approaches the athlete and tries to explain in detail, often with a number of hand motions, what went wrong with the execution of a skill and how to correct it. Now, Dartfish's technology allows the athlete to see the routine instantly in training along with the intricate execution details to analyze the skill. The coach?s job of trying to help correct is made infinitely more simple.
DartTrainer software is installed on a PC or laptop and then connected to a digital (DV) camera. The same set of video analysis tools that were seen on NBC, ABC and NBCOlympics.com are then at the disposal of athlete and coach. The program delivers instant and automatic visual feedback that allows the athlete and coach to analyze a skill or routine and view the nuances in execution that make the difference between a hit and a miss.
SimulCam?, a patented video technology, superimposes one athletic movement over another for precise comparisons. It is designed to contrast and compare the position, style and trajectory of two athletes.
StroMotion? creates trajectory video footage revealing the evolution of an athlete's movement, technique, execution and tactics. Athletic movements unfold in time and space by compounding video images into a frame-by-frame sequences which reveals key positions in complex executions.
Acceptance of the new technology has been overwhelmingly positive as have been the results of athletes using the technology. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, there were 45 medals won by athletes who had trained with DartTrainer leading up to the games. The Seattle Mariners used it to improve their batting game with dramatic results. "DartTrainer could be the difference between being in a slump for two weeks or cutting it down to two days," according to Gerald Perry, Hitting Instructor for the Mariners.
DartTrainer is used by the United States Olympic Committee and is currently the official video analysis training software for a number of governing bodies including USA Volleyball, USA Luge, USA Bowling, USA Cycling, and USA Track and Field. It was also recently adopted by USA Gymnastics for the development of elite athletes and to provide fundamental applications to programs across the country.
"Our relationship with Dartfish will provide cutting-edge educational tools that keep our athletes at the forefront of training technology," said Bob Colarossi, USA Gymnastics President. "The Dartfish technology is being widely accepted in other sports, and has great potential for the sport of gymnastics. I encourage all of our coaches and athletes to consider the benefits."
During the 2002 Visa American Cup, Dartfish showcased its technology on the USA Gymnastics website, demonstrating SimulCam? and StroMotion? for coaches, athletes, and fans.
"We were glad to have the opportunity to enhance the experience of spectators using our interactive platform and web applications during the Visa Cup," Victor Bergonzoli, President of Dartfish USA told Inside Gymnastics. "It gives us an opportunity to demonstrate to coaches and athletes the powerful tools that are available to them and it also added a new component for spectators to understand the complexity of the sport."
Most impressed with the technology is Ron Brant, Men's National Team Coordinator for USA Gymnastics. Brant uses the DartTrainer software at every Senior National Team camp and reports that the response has been tremendous. "We use it extensively at our training camps and it has been extremely beneficial for our coaches and athletes," he says. "We have a large projection screen and athletes are able to watch their performance immediately afterwards in three speeds - regular, slow, and super-slow. It gives the athlete and coach an opportunity to view the routine or skill together and discuss why it worked well or didn't work well. After each camp, we also send a video tape to all athletes with their individual performances provided in StroMotion so that they're able to analyze it again in training outside of the camps. We'd like to get (the training systems) into the individual gyms as well."
Athletes and coaches are always looking for that "extra edge". With the US Men fresh off of a Silver Medal team performance and the women bringing home the bronze at the 2001 World Championships, expectations are high for the potential finish at the 2003 World Championships on home soil and the upcoming Athens Olympics in 2004. Along with remaining healthy, the DartTrainer could be that extra edge in helping the U.S. reach its full potential.
Inside Gymnastics Official Web Site
Click here to order DartTrainer