9781422286784

subject athlete has a set of electronic sensors strapped to his body at key points, including joints and key muscle groups. The camera re- cording the action highlights those sensors, creating a skeleton-like view of the person. That view can then be studied and examined by the athlete and the coach to look for ways to make the athlete better. Regular video is used, of course, but the motion capture’s abil- ity to cut the motion down to its key parts makes it more effective as a coaching tool. Motion capture has been used in swim- ming with the help of underwater cameras. Tennis players and golfers can help tune their swing and also custom fit their rackets and clubs with “mocap,” as it is sometimes called. And doctors even use it to test before-and- after motion of athletes recovering from inju- ries. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a motion capture image might turn into a thou- sand wins. Social Connections W hile specialized cameras capture an ath - letes’ motion, social media helps capture the emotion of sports. In the early days of sports, the only way a fan could “hear” from a star athlete would be through the words of a newspaper. Even when books or articles were “by” a star, the words would usually come from a reporter. Radio began

stem in sports: technology

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