Comment on “Hurdle Clearance Detection and Spatiotemporal Analysis in 400 Meters Hurdles Races Using Shoe-Mounted Magnetic and Inertial Sensor”

• Main Authors: Marcus Schmidt, Tobias Alt, Kevin Nolte, Thomas Jaitner
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-05-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: inertial sensors; IMU; feature extraction; 400-m hurdles; spatiotemporal parameters; performance analysis
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/10/2995

The recent paper “Hurdle Clearance Detection and Spatiotemporal Analysis in 400 Meters Hurdles Races Using Shoe-Mounted Magnetic and Inertial Sensor” (<i>Sensors</i> 2020, 20, 354) proposes a wearable system based on a foot-worn miniature inertial measurement unit (MIMU) and different methods to detect hurdle clearance and to identify the leading leg during 400-m hurdle races. Furthermore, the presented system identifies changes in contact time, flight time, running speed, and step frequency throughout the race. In this comment, we discuss the original paper with a focus on the ecological validity and the applicability of MIMU systems for field-based settings, such as training or competition for elite athletes.