Real-Time Analysis of Attack Jump Performance in Beach Volleyball Using IMUs

Sammanfattning

Wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors have grown in popularity as a low-cost and field-viable method for collecting jump height data under athletic training conditions. Although this method has been widely implemented in indoor volleyball, it has not been field-validated in the sand, where the unstable surface alters jump biomechanics and landing conditions. Additionally, no existing system integrates jump height estimation with hit detection to evaluate offensive attack timing. This degree project addresses this through the development and evaluation of a prototype IMU-based system for analyzing offensive attack jumps in real-time. The degree project employs an iterative, user-centric design methodology. Athlete-coach participants were selected to inform all stages of the design, which cycled through feature implementation, field testing, user feedback, and refinement to create a prototype coaching tool. The prototype was field evaluated with results indicating that IMUs can be used to estimate jump height and detect hits with timestamp accuracy under training conditions, motivating further work in exploring IMU applications in beach volleyball for coaching and load tracking purposes, and delivering realtime sports technology solutions.