The 44th Special seminar of the School of Engineering "Advancing Human Performance through Data and Design"

In this talk I will discuss 2-3 projects from the MIT Sports Lab.
In the first, we integrate concepts from biomechanics and optimal control to design an Adidas shoe that is optimized for efficient running. In this project we learn hidden biological objective objectives from measured running data; these data allow us to predict the change in the runners gait when the mechanical properties of the shoes are changed.
In the second project, we use tracking data from the NBA to develop a quantitative metric for on-court decision-making. This is an example of a suite of projects in which we are seeking to quantify mental abilities (e.g. decision-making under stress) from easily measurable physical tracking data.
The third is a collaboration with Major League Baseball to determine the physics behind the recent increase in the rate of home runs; in particular I will enumerate different potential drivers for the observed increase and evaluate the evidence in the data (box score, ball tracking, weather, etc.) in support of each theory.

School of Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo

• Ookayama East Area 1 Main Bldg.

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