A rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system and its usage method

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of ice and snow sports equipment technology, specifically relating to a rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports posture capture system and its usage method. The invention embeds inertial capture nodes into key human body nodes within a smart ice and snow suit, and embeds UWB tags into the head area of ​​the smart ice and snow suit. UWB base stations are deployed at high positions in the four corners of the ice and snow sports field, forming a rectangular coverage area. Wearing the smart ice and snow suit, athletes select sports modes and adjust settings through the user interface of the display system. During exercise, the virtual athlete in the virtual ice and snow sports scene within the user interface synchronizes with the actual athlete's movements. Athletes can view data during the exercise process through the user interface, including speed, posture angle, and gliding trajectory, helping them analyze and improve their ice and snow sports techniques.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ice and snow sports equipment technology, specifically relating to a rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports posture capture system and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the popularization of winter sports, ice and snow sports have shown a rapid development trend. The rise and popularization of ice and snow sports has not only driven the vigorous development of the ice and snow industry, but also promoted the leapfrog development of national fitness and sports tourism industries. Ice and snow sports have gradually become one of the mainstream winter outdoor sports. The construction of ice and snow sports venues and related infrastructure has also been rapidly developed and improved.

[0003] Despite the rapid development of the ice and snow industry, ice and snow sports remain highly seasonal due to geographical location and climate conditions. Traditional outdoor ice and snow sports venues cannot be used during the spring and summer seasons, while the emergence of indoor ice and snow sports venues has effectively solved this problem. Indoor ice and snow sports venues have the following advantages:

[0004] Year-round ice and snow: Indoor ice and snow sports venues are not limited by seasons and climates, allowing ice and snow enthusiasts to conduct ice and snow training and entertainment in any season. This is a typical manifestation of the new year-round ice and snow industry, and mass ice and snow sports drive the sustainable development of the ice and snow economy.

[0005] Space saving: Compared with traditional ice and snow sports venues, indoor ice and snow sports venues take up less space and can be compatible with and shared with urban gyms, stadiums and other venues, bringing ice and snow sports to the general public.

[0006] High safety: Indoor ice and snow sports venues have adjustable speed and height, and safety measures such as the addition of safety railings greatly reduce the risk of accidents in ice and snow sports, thus improving the safety of ice and snow training.

[0007] Environmentally friendly: Indoor ice and snow sports venues do not require large amounts of water and electricity for snowmaking and maintenance, which aligns with the concept of green environmental protection.

[0008] Technological Enhancement: By equipping athletes with posture capture and real-time feedback systems, winter sports athletes can understand their posture and technical level in real time, which facilitates improvement and enhancement of their competitive performance in winter sports.

[0009] Against the backdrop of the rapid development of winter sports, indoor winter sports venues have become an important choice for winter sports enthusiasts due to their unique advantages. With technological advancements, the technology of winter sports venues is constantly being innovated and improved, providing strong support for the popularization and development of winter sports. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports posture capture system and its usage method.

[0011] A rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports posture capture system includes a smart ice and snow suit, a posture acquisition module, a network communication module, a central processing unit, and a display system. The posture acquisition module includes inertial capture nodes and a UWB positioning module. The inertial capture nodes are embedded in the smart ice and snow suit to acquire the limb posture information of the athlete wearing the suit. The UWB positioning module includes UWB tags and UWB base stations. The UWB tags are embedded in the head area of ​​the smart ice and snow suit, and the UWB base stations are placed at the four corners of the ice and snow sports field and installed at a high position, forming a rectangular coverage. The UWB positioning module is used to acquire the position information of the athlete wearing the smart ice and snow suit. The network communication module receives and preprocesses the athlete's limb posture and position measurement information transmitted from the posture acquisition module before transmitting it to the central processing unit. The central processing unit performs data fusion to obtain the athlete's limb posture and position calculation information and transmits it to the display system. The display system generates a virtual environment and displays the athlete's real-time movements and position in the virtual environment based on the athlete's limb posture and position calculation information.

[0012] Furthermore, the inertial capture node uses an MPU9250 nine-axis motion sensor, which integrates an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer, and is embedded in the smart snow suit through an inner armor.

[0013] Furthermore, the distance between the UWB tag and the UWB base station is determined by bidirectional ranging, and the three-dimensional position of the UWB tag is calculated by the time difference of arrival method.

[0014] Furthermore, the network communication module adopts an ESP12F module. The ESP12F module performs data preprocessing including: removing high-frequency noise and outliers through low-pass filtering, performing zero-bias correction and scaling factor adjustment on the data through calibration parameters, and converting the acceleration data to the global coordinate system using attitude angles, thereby separating the gravity component.

[0015] Furthermore, the central processing unit adopts an ESP32 module, which uses an extended Kalman filter algorithm to fuse the measurement data preprocessed by the inertial capture node and the UWB positioning module to obtain more accurate limb posture and position calculation information of the athlete.

[0016] Furthermore, the central processing unit employs an extended Kalman filter algorithm to fuse the preprocessed measurement data from the inertial acquisition nodes and the UWB positioning module, specifically as follows:

[0017] Using the 3D position error, velocity error, attitude angle error, and gyroscope and accelerometer bias as the state vector of the extended Kalman filter algorithm, the true position of the UWB tag at time k is (x k ,y k ,z k The actual distance from the UWB tag to the i-th UWB base station is ρ. i,k The coordinates of the i-th UWB base station are The distance between the i-th UWB base station and the UWB tag is ρ. Ui,k The position of the UWB tag obtained by solving the state transition equation is (x i,k ,y i,k ,z i,k ); where ρ Ui,k =ρ i,k +ε, where ε is the UWB measurement noise; the measurement equation for the extended Kalman filter algorithm is:

[0018] Z ik =h i (X k )+v i (ρ Ui,k ,ε)

[0019]

[0020] v i (ρ UI,k ,ε)=-2ρ Ui,k ε+ε 2

[0021] Furthermore, the display system uses the Unity engine to create virtual ice and snow sports scenes. Based on the limb posture and position calculation information of the athletes, it renders the virtual athletes' movements in real time to ensure that the virtual athletes' movements are synchronized with the actual athletes' movements. The rendered virtual ice and snow sports scenes, athletes' movements, and sports data are displayed on the user interface.

[0022] A method for using a rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system includes the following steps:

[0023] Step 1: Deploy UWB base stations at high points in the four corners of the ice and snow sports field to form rectangular coverage;

[0024] Step 2: The athlete puts on the smart ice and snow suit and initializes the inertial capture node;

[0025] Step 3: The athlete selects the sports mode and adjusts the settings through the user interface of the display system. During the exercise while wearing the smart ice and snow suit, the virtual athlete in the virtual ice and snow sports scene in the user interface moves in sync with the actual athlete. The athlete can view the data during the exercise through the user interface, including speed, posture angle, and gliding trajectory, to help the athlete analyze and improve ice and snow sports techniques.

[0026] Furthermore, the initialization of the inertial capture node in step 2 specifically involves:

[0027] Step 2.1: After correctly putting on the smart ice and snow suit, the athlete stands in front of the ice and snow sports field with their feet shoulder-width apart and their arms outstretched horizontally, forming a "T" shape.

[0028] Step 2.2: The central processing unit acquires the data collected by each inertial acquisition node and the UWB positioning module through the network communication module and records it as the initial attitude data;

[0029] Step 2.3: The central processing unit compares the initial T-pose data with the initial attitude data, calculates the error of each inertial capture node, and performs error correction.

[0030] Step 2.4: After error correction, the central processing unit acquires the data collected by each inertial capture node and the UWB positioning module again as the initial attitude data after calibration.

[0031] Step 2.5: The central processing unit sends a notification to the athlete that the calibration is complete via the display system. The athlete then ends the "T-pose" posture and begins normal ice and snow sports.

[0032] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0033] 1. Quick and wearable

[0034] This invention's pose capture system embeds inertial capture nodes and UWB modules into snowsuits and helmets, enabling rapid wearability. Existing pose capture devices typically require a cumbersome donning process; each sensor and positioning module node needs to be worn and connected individually, which is time-consuming and inconvenient, requiring on-site support from professional technicians, hindering the development of mass-market snow sports. This invention directly embeds inertial capture nodes and UWB modules into snowsuits and helmets, allowing users to complete all sensor configurations simply by wearing the snowsuit and helmet, greatly simplifying the process and improving ease of use and user experience. T-pose alignment is relatively simple and easy for users; simply assuming a "T-shape" posture after powering on the device completes the initial calibration. This makes the invention more user-friendly, especially in scenarios requiring rapid donning and use, such as mass-market snow sports.

[0035] 2. Low cost and accessible to the general public

[0036] This invention utilizes the MPU9250 sensor, which, compared to existing inertial tracking products, not only possesses high-precision attitude capture capabilities but also significantly reduces costs. The MPU9250 integrates an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer, enabling multi-axis sensing at a lower price and reducing overall hardware costs. This makes the invention more accessible to the general public, thereby promoting winter sports to a wider audience and allowing more people to enjoy the fun brought by high-tech winter sports equipment.

[0037] 3. Modular processing

[0038] This invention utilizes the ESP32 and ESP12F modules, which handle both Wi-Fi transmission and data processing as the main control chip, ensuring efficient data transmission and processing. Existing products typically use multiple independent modules for data transmission and processing, increasing system complexity and power consumption. This invention uses the ESP32 as the central processing unit to process data from the IMU and UWB, and employs an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for data fusion. The ESP12F module is used for inertial nodes and UWB tag boards, achieving efficient data transmission and real-time positioning, reducing hardware quantity and energy consumption, and improving system integration and reliability.

[0039] 4. Data fusion algorithm

[0040] This invention employs the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) algorithm to fuse IMU and UWB data, providing high-precision attitude and position estimation. Many existing products use simple low-pass filtering algorithms, which fail to fully utilize multi-sensor data, leading to inaccurate attitude and position estimation. This invention, through the EKF algorithm, fully utilizes the high-frequency attitude data provided by the IMU and the high-precision position data provided by the UWB, combining the advantages of both to improve the accuracy and stability of attitude and position estimation. The EKF algorithm considers the nonlinear characteristics of the system, enabling it to provide more reliable data fusion results in noisy and uncertain environments.

[0041] 5. Unity Human-Computer Interaction

[0042] This invention creates virtual ice and snow sports scenes using the Unity engine, achieving real-time posture and position feedback for ice and snow athletes and providing a high-level human-computer interaction experience. Many existing ice and snow simulation devices suffer from delays and inconsistencies between the virtual scenes and actual movements, resulting in a poor user experience. This invention, through the Unity engine, can render virtual ice and snow sports scenes in real time and update the scene based on the posture and position data of the athletes, ensuring synchronization between movements and the virtual scene. The efficient rendering capabilities and rich development resources of the Unity engine make the virtual ice and snow sports scenes more realistic and the user experience more immersive. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports posture capture system of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an inertial capture node.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the inertial capture node.

[0046] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a UWB positioning module.

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the extended Kalman filter algorithm. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports posture capture system, including a smart ice and snow suit, a posture acquisition module, a network communication module, a central processing unit, and a display system;

[0050] The pose acquisition module includes inertial capture nodes and a UWB positioning module; the inertial capture nodes are embedded in the positions of key human body nodes within the smart snowsuit to acquire the limb posture information of the athlete wearing the smart snowsuit; such as Figure 2 As shown, special armor is installed at the important joints of the smart ice and snow suit. Inertial capture nodes are embedded in the reserved slots and charging ports are reserved. ①-⑤ are installed at the joints of the right shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip and knee of the human body, respectively, and ⑥-⑩ are the corresponding important joints on the left side of the human body. The motion capture node, number 13, is installed in the armor on the front and back of the suit, and is also embedded in the helmet of the smart snowsuit along with the UWB tag. This installation method not only enables the rapid wearability of the motion capture system, but also provides appropriate protection for the capture node during intense snow sports.

[0051] UWB tags are embedded in the helmets of smart snowsuits, and UWB base stations are placed at the four corners of the snow sports field and installed at high altitudes to form a rectangular coverage, ensuring signal coverage without blind spots throughout the entire snow area. The distance between the transmitting and receiving ends is determined by two-way ranging (TWR), and the three-dimensional position of the tag is calculated using the time difference of arrival (TDOA) method.

[0052] The network communication module uses the ESP12F module, which has built-in Wi-Fi functionality to enable wireless communication with the central processing unit. The ESP12F module is used for data acquisition and transmission from inertial capture nodes and UWB tags, ensuring low power consumption and efficient Wi-Fi communication. The ESP12F module performs data preprocessing including: removing high-frequency noise and outliers through low-pass filtering; performing zero-bias correction and scaling factor adjustment on the data using calibration parameters; and converting the acceleration data to the global coordinate system using attitude angles (pitch, roll, and yaw angles) to separate the gravity component.

[0053] The central processing unit uses an ESP32 module. The central processing unit is used to perform data fusion. It uses an extended Kalman filter algorithm to fuse the measurement data preprocessed by the inertial capture node and the UWB positioning module to obtain more accurate limb posture and position calculation information of the athlete, and then transmits it to the display system.

[0054] The display system uses the Unity engine to create virtual ice and snow sports scenes, including terrain, snow tracks, obstacles, and coins. Based on the athlete's posture and position calculations, it renders the virtual athlete's movements in real time, ensuring synchronization between the virtual and real athlete's actions. The rendered virtual ice and snow sports scene, athlete's movements, and motion data are displayed on the user interface, providing intuitive visual feedback. Through the user interface, ice and snow athletes can select different ice and snow modes, view ice and snow data, and adjust settings. Data from the ice and snow process, such as speed, posture angles, and gliding trajectories, is displayed to help ice and snow athletes analyze and improve their techniques.

[0055] like Figure 3 As shown, the inertial capture node uses the MPU9250 nine-axis motion sensor, integrating an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer, and is embedded in the smart snowsuit via an inner jacket. The inertial capture node captures acceleration, angular rate, and magnetic field information from important joints of the human body. The ESP12F module performs data preprocessing using a low-pass filtering algorithm to eliminate high-frequency noise and abnormal data. The preprocessed data is then transmitted to the central processing unit ESP32 module via Wi-Fi using the MQTT protocol.

[0056] like Figure 4 As shown, the UWB positioning module first performs initialization, configuring a unique identifier (UID) for each module to ensure a unique identity within the network. A synchronization signal synchronizes the clocks of all UWB base stations, and the UWB tags periodically transmit signals. The base stations receive these tags and record the reception time. Finally, the time differences are packaged and sent to the central processing unit for data fusion.

[0057] like Figure 5As shown, the basic flowchart of the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is as follows: First, initialization is performed, using the 3D position error, velocity error, attitude angle error, and gyroscope and accelerometer bias as the state vector of the EKF algorithm. The true position of the UWB tag at time k is (x k ,y k ,z k The actual distance from the UWB tag to the i-th UWB base station is ρ. i,k The coordinates of the i-th UWB base station are The distance between the i-th UWB base station and the UWB tag is ρ. Ui,k The position of the UWB tag obtained by solving the state transition equation is (x i,k ,y i,k ,z i,k ); where ρ Ui,k =ρ i,k +ε, where ε is the UWB measurement noise; the measurement equation for the extended Kalman filter algorithm is:

[0058] Z ik =h i (X k )+v i (ρ Ui,k ,ε)

[0059]

[0060] v i (ρ Ui,k ,ε)=-2ρ Ui,k ε+ε 2

[0061] Then, Kalman filtering is performed.

[0062] 1. Prediction steps: First, perform state prediction to obtain the prior state. Calculate the Jacobian matrix F k-1 , where the Jacobian matrix is ​​the partial derivative of the state transition function f with respect to the state vector. The prior covariance matrix P is then obtained. k|k-1 ;

[0063] 2. Correction steps: Calculate the Jacobian matrix H k H k To measure the partial derivative of the function h with respect to the state vector, calculate the Kalman gain K. k Correcting the state vector based on Kalman gain The final estimated value is the required human motion data.

[0064] A method for using a rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system includes the following steps:

[0065] Step 1: Deploy UWB base stations at high points in the four corners of the ice and snow sports field to form rectangular coverage;

[0066] Step 2: The athlete puts on the smart ice and snow suit and initializes the inertial capture node;

[0067] Step 2.1: After correctly putting on the smart ice and snow suit, the athlete stands in front of the ice and snow sports field with their feet shoulder-width apart and their arms outstretched horizontally, forming a "T" shape.

[0068] Step 2.2: The central processing unit acquires the data collected by each inertial acquisition node and the UWB positioning module through the network communication module and records it as the initial attitude data;

[0069] Step 2.3: The central processing unit compares the initial T-pose data with the initial attitude data, calculates the error of each inertial capture node, and performs error correction.

[0070] Step 2.4: After error correction, the central processing unit acquires the data collected by each inertial capture node and the UWB positioning module again as the initial attitude data after calibration.

[0071] Step 2.5: The central processing unit sends a notification to the athlete that the calibration is complete via the display system. The athlete then ends the "T-pose" posture and begins normal ice and snow sports.

[0072] Step 3: The athlete selects the sports mode and adjusts the settings through the user interface of the display system. During the exercise while wearing the smart ice and snow suit, the virtual athlete in the virtual ice and snow sports scene in the user interface moves in sync with the actual athlete. The athlete can view the data during the exercise through the user interface, including speed, posture angle, and gliding trajectory, to help the athlete analyze and improve ice and snow sports techniques.

[0073] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system, characterized in that: It includes a smart snow suit, a pose acquisition module, a network communication module, a central processing unit, and a display system; The pose acquisition module includes an inertial capture node and a UWB positioning module. The inertial capture node is embedded in the key nodes of the human body within the smart snowsuit to acquire the limb posture information of the athlete wearing the smart snowsuit. The UWB positioning module includes a UWB tag and a UWB base station. The UWB tag is embedded in the head position of the smart snowsuit, and the UWB base station is placed in the four corners of the snow sports field and installed at a high position to form a rectangular coverage. The UWB positioning module is used to acquire the location information of the athlete wearing the smart snowsuit. The network communication module is used to receive the limb posture and position measurement information of the athlete transmitted by the pose acquisition module, and after preprocessing it, transmit it to the central processing unit. The central processing unit uses the extended Kalman filter algorithm to fuse the measurement data preprocessed by the inertial capture node and the UWB positioning module to obtain the limb posture and position calculation information of the athlete, and then transmits it to the display system. Using the 3D position error, velocity error, attitude angle error, and gyroscope and accelerometer bias as the state vector of the extended Kalman filter algorithm, the true position of the UWB tag at time k is (x k ,y k ,z k The actual distance from the UWB tag to the i-th UWB base station is ρ. i,k The coordinates of the i-th UWB base station are The distance between the i-th UWB base station and the UWB tag is ρ. Ui,k The position of the UWB tag obtained by solving the state transition equation is (x i,k ,y i,k ,z i,k ); Where, ρ Ui,k =ρ i,k +ε, where ε is the UWB measurement noise; the measurement equation for the extended Kalman filter algorithm is: Z ik =h i (X k )+v i (ρ Ui,k ,ε) v i (r Ui,k ,e)=-2ρ Ui,k e+e 2 The display system is used to generate a virtual environment and, based on the athlete's limb posture and position calculation information, display the athlete's real-time movements and position in the virtual environment.

2. The rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inertial capture node uses an MPU9250 nine-axis motion sensor, which integrates an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer, and is embedded in the smart snow suit through an inner jacket.

3. The rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the UWB tag and the UWB base station is determined by bidirectional ranging, and the three-dimensional position of the UWB tag is calculated by the time difference of arrival method.

4. The rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports posture capture system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The network communication module uses an ESP12F module. The ESP12F module performs data preprocessing including: removing high-frequency noise and outliers through low-pass filtering, performing zero-bias correction and scaling factor adjustment on the data through calibration parameters, and converting the acceleration data to the global coordinate system using attitude angles, thereby separating the gravity component.

5. A rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central processing unit uses the ESP32 module, which employs an extended Kalman filter algorithm to fuse the measurement data preprocessed by the inertial capture node and the UWB positioning module to obtain more accurate limb posture and position calculation information of the athlete.

6. The rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display system uses the Unity engine to create virtual ice and snow sports scenes. Based on the limb posture and position calculation information of the athletes, it renders the virtual athletes' movements in real time to ensure that the virtual athletes' movements are synchronized with the actual athletes' movements. The rendered virtual ice and snow sports scenes, athletes' movements, and sports data are displayed on the user interface.

7. A method of using the rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Deploy UWB base stations at high points in the four corners of the ice and snow sports field to form rectangular coverage; Step 2: The athlete puts on the smart ice and snow suit and initializes the inertial capture node; Step 3: The athlete selects the sports mode and adjusts the settings through the user interface of the display system. During the exercise while wearing the smart ice and snow suit, the virtual athlete in the virtual ice and snow sports scene in the user interface moves in sync with the actual athlete. The athlete can view the data during the exercise through the user interface, including speed, posture angle, and gliding trajectory, to help the athlete analyze and improve ice and snow sports techniques.

8. The method of using a rapid wearable indoor ice and snow sports pose capture system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The initialization of the inertial capture node in step 2 specifically involves: Step 2.1: After correctly putting on the smart ice and snow suit, the athlete stands in front of the ice and snow sports field with their feet shoulder-width apart and their arms outstretched horizontally, forming a "T" shape. Step 2.2: The central processing unit acquires the data collected by each inertial acquisition node and the UWB positioning module through the network communication module and records it as the initial attitude data; Step 2.3: The central processing unit compares the initial T-pose data with the initial attitude data, calculates the error of each inertial capture node, and performs error correction. Step 2.4: After error correction, the central processing unit acquires the data collected by each inertial capture node and the UWB positioning module again as the initial attitude data after calibration. Step 2.5: The central processing unit sends a notification to the athlete that the calibration is complete via the display system. The athlete then ends the "T-pose" posture and begins normal ice and snow sports.

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