SmartSurf: improving athletes’ performance

smartsurf

 

The number of waves surfed, speed and distance in wave. These are some of the metrics that can now be measured thanks to the SmartSurf, an application developed by a team of experts at Fraunhofer Portugal.

SmartSurf aims to analyze surfers’ performance, quantitatively, in real-time. The smartphone sensors are used to collect data and compute performance metrics, such as number of waves surfed, average and maximum speed, ride duration and distance in wave. Maneuvers are also detected and the angles of turns or the height of airs may also be computed.

The app may be used by surfers all around the world to measure their performance and compare statistics. Researchers from Fraunhofer Portugal will start working with competition athletes and trainers to develop the project into a training tool in order to improve the performance of the athletes. Moreover, during television broadcasting of Surf Championships the metrics may be computed in real-time and showed along with the surfing images.

It is estimated to exist around 23 million surfers worldwide. Moreover, in Portugal, there is a coastline of 1.794 kilometers, a high number of surf beaches and an increasing number of surf athletes.

AAL Forum 2014

aalforum2014

More than 500 participants, several innovative and technological solutions and hundreds of visitors. This is the wrap-up of the AAL Forum 2014, an event in which Fraunhofer Portugal and its FCC Competence Center took part.

This year, the AAL Forum took place from the 9th to the 12th of September in Bucharest (Romania). The AAL Forum is the annual platform for the increasing European AAL community to meet and discuss several topics, relevant for improving the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme (AAL JP) as well as the adoption of AAL solutions in the market. It is an initiative of the AAL Joint Programme.

The AAL Forum is the annual showcase event for the people involved in the AAL JP’s projects and the AAL community. It is the core connection of the joint programme to the AAL Community. This community includes policy makers, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) developers, manufacturers, health professionals, commissioners, businesses, venture companies, technologists, academics, designers, carers and, of course, older adults. Its purpose is to exhibit and demonstrate existing or developing ICT solutions (products and services), promote networking within the community, foster the interest of other sectors in the field of AAL, provoke debate and discussion on various topics and highlight new or emerging developments in the area to inform the AAL community.