Special Issue Psychology

Transferability of Multiple Object Tracking Skill Training to Professional Baseball Players’ Hitting Performance

This study aimed to determine the effects of multiple object tracking (MOT) skill training on elite baseball players. Baseball demands athletes to exhibit a high level of dynamic movement and quick and accurate situational judgment in multiple situations, including offense, defense, and base running. However, current research has not clarified whether the effects of MOT skills training are transferable to baseball performance. We investigated whether MOT skill training influenced baseball hitting performance before and after the intervention. Twelve players from a Japanese professional baseball team participated, and the intervention spanned approximately five months. The MOT skills of all players significantly improved (n=12). Additionally, we assessed the changes in hitting performance following MOT skill training. The results revealed a significant trend toward an improvement in the zone contact rate, zone swing strike rate, and outside swing strike rate in the breaking ball condition, such as the curveball and slider, indicating a large effect size (n=6). Further research across various competition levels is necessary to explore the transfer effects of MOT training on baseball-specific parameters.

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Special Issue Information Sciences

Development of Video Switching System in Sport Fields

In Japan, the Sport Basic Plan was formulated in 2012, which mentions not only the development of highly qualified sports instructors but also new perspectives such as the provision of programs in which everyone can enjoy the value of sports together. Against this background, trials of new technologies utilizing the latest ICT equipment such as sensor devices are being made. However, in college sports, where financial resources are often limited, shooting with hand-held video cameras is the most common method, which may cause the manager to overlook important scenes of play depending on his or her skill level. This problem affects not only competitors but also spectators. To solve this problem, we develop a system for capturing video images of the entire field with multiple fixed video cameras so that the system can automatically switch from one to another video of the most appropriate camera for the respective scenes of play. The results of the demonstration experiments in basketball and futsal showed that the switching video of the proposed technology can be utilized for tactical analysis in sports.

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Special Issue Psychology and Education

Visualization of Motion Image by Humanoid Input Device for Shooting Motion in Basketball and Its Effectiveness

The use of imagery is effective for the acquisition of sports movements. However, the details of recalled images have not yet been clarified. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to visualize the image of a basketball shooting motion using a humanoid input device. We also aimed to clarify the effects of such visualizations on the formation of the players’ movement images and the understanding of their movement skills. Six elite female athletes belonging to a professional team and six high-school female athletes who had participated in national tournaments were selected as participants, and motion images were created using a humanoid input device. The results of the analysis indicated that the detailed reproducibility of the motion images and the relationship between the individual movements and the whole movement differed according to the proficiency level of the shooting movement. In addition, it was suggested that in the acquisition of the shooting motion, the promotion of metacognitive activities for one's own motion enhances the analytical and individual sensory understanding of the motion, as well as the formation of an image that relates the whole motion.

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Special Issue Information Sciences

Research for Supporting Tactical Analysis Concerning Pass Skeleton in American Football

The authors have been conducting researches on the measurement and analysis of athletes, things and events in field sports. In particular, we focused on American Football which is the most intelligent and complicated sports, and carried out the possibility of matchup analysis of its pass play. Based on the past researches, it was found that it was possible to estimate success or failure for each play by applying to the time-series trajectory image data of pass matchup players using the CNN（Convolutional Neural Network）. However, it is necessary to improve versatility by supporting pass skeletons considering not only one-on-one defense but also formation of zone defense that are close to the match format. Therefore, we aim to support the analysis of pass skeletons, which had to consider huge parameters such as the position and movement of each player from the start of play to the success or failure of the pass. The research was carried out based on a hypothesis that the success or failure of a pass from the position several seconds before the origin of the QB pass throw could be determined by taking into consideration the skill that is the compatibility of each player, the positions and the movement trajectory of the receiver team（WR, TE, and RB）, and the defenders（LB，DB，S）that mark them. As a result, the success rate and failure rate of the assumed pass player could be predicted by using the position and its trajectory image of each player from 3 seconds before the pass pitch. And then, by determining that the pass to the maximum likelihood receiver is optimal, we confirmed that useful information can be provided to support strategy planning during the game and guidance during practice.

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Article Clinical Medicine General Medicine Social Medicine

A proposal concerning exercise intensity with the Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure Exergame among older adults: A preliminary study

The Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure (RFA) (Nintendo, Kyoto, Japan) is a novel exergame that combines exercise and video game elements. Although previous RFA intervention studies have reported the health effects of the RFA, exercise intensity among older adults has not yet been documented. We hypothesized that the exercise intensity of older adults in the current RFA setting may be low. This preliminary study developed a range of prototype RFA intensity conditions and to evaluate exercise intensity among older adults. Six older adults (1 male/5 females, mean age 75.2±10.3 years old) participated in this study. Three RFA conditions were developed: "LOW" (the ‘default’ load. Older individual input actual gender and age), "MODERATE" (as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine [ACSM]: 40%-59% heart rate reserve [HRR]), and "HIGH" (highest exercise intensity that older individuals could set in the game). Exercise intensity was assessed using the %HRR. The results show that the %HRR values for the conditions were 34.9%±4.1% (LOW), 40.0%±2.9% (MODERATE), and 52.3%±3.1% (HIGH). In conclusion, this preliminary study showed that, among the three prototype RFA conditions, both MODERATE and HIGH conditions generally attain moderate or greater intensity for older adults when assessed using the heart rate.

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Article Electrical and Electronic Engineering Information Sciences

Development of Sensing Unit “xG-1” for Visualizing Team Plays

The authors have developed "xG-1", a sports sensing unit capable of visualizing the performance and flow of play while recognizing each player in field sports such as soccer, rugby, and American football. Utilization of this sensing unit in the field of sports makes it possible to provide scientific data-driven services with the aim of transforming subjective coaching methods based on experience into new coaching methods based on data. This system consists of sensor devices and software, utilizing real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning, which is a surveying technology. Therefore, the system not only provides highly accurate positional data in real time but also visualizes the overall performance of the entire team, including formation analysis. This allows one-stop management of the overall team and individual performance, as well as efficient information management of the player's exercise load. "xG-1" can support sports businesses by providing highly extensible API and SDK and linking data among end users and systems. In the future, we aim to develop a global open data platform.

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Article Psychology

Decision making under virtual environment triggers more aggressive tactical solutions

Virtual reality is a promising technology that can be used to assess and train decision-making skills in sports. However, it is not necessarily clear what benefits this technology offers compared to previous technologies. The present study investigated the differences in option generation related to tactical decision-making when the same tactical scene was observed in 2D video and 3D VR. Soccer players (N = 27) were asked to observe tactical scenes and verbally report as many tactical options as possible under 2D video and 3D VR conditions. They were classified into high-, medium-, or low-decision capability groups based on the decision-making test. Irrespective of the capability, the 2D video and 3D VR had the same number of generated options. However, 3D VR generated more aggressive options that led to the goal, even though the exact same scene was observed between the conditions. This result may be because 3D VR can reproduce more realistic information exploration behavior than 2D video. Given that differences were observed regardless of skill level, the results suggest that VR technology has the potential for use as a more accurate decision evaluation method and effective training tool compared to previous methods for a wide variety of learners.

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Article Information Sciences

Development of Laser Scanner Units for UAV

In its i-Construction policy, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has stipulated a manual for public surveying using by UAV photogrammetry with the aim of improving productivity at construction sites. However, UAV photogrammetry requires a huge amount of time to generate point cloud data from photographs, causing a problem that it is difficult to monitor the daily progress of the construction site. There is another problem that it is incapable of taking measurements except daylight hours. Against this backdrop, we have been developing laser scanner units for UAV equipped with LiDAR, IMU and GNSS receiver. Then, we clarified the error factors that are expected to affect the precision prescribed of point cloud data and summarized the requirements for the onboard equipment and the method of generating point cloud data. However, we have not yet proposed nor developed the laser scanner units as well as for generating point cloud data considering these requirements. Thus, in this paper, we developed the laser scanner units and a new method for generating point cloud data within the laser scanner units to optimize the error factors based on these requirements clarified in the existing study.

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Article Psychology

Changing weight perception using augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that renders computer-generated (CG) images onto the physical world in real time. To establish technology to alter weight perception using CG images in an AR environment, we investigated whether the size of virtual objects superimposed on a physical object would affect perceived heaviness. Participants (n = 22) wore a head-mounted display with a stereo camera and observed an object overlaid with a CG image. They lifted the object vertically and rated its subjective heaviness. We found that the virtually smaller object was perceived to be heavier than the virtually larger object among a large share of participants, indicating that a well-known phenomenon, the size-weight illusion (SWI), occurred. The SWI did not occur when the virtual size became larger or smaller after movement to reach the object was initiated. Our results suggest that presenting virtual objects in an AR environment effectively altered weight perception.

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Article Business & Management Economics Education Others Psychology

The Effect of Auditory Stimulation on College Sports Team and University Identification of Media Spectators: Focusing on the Presence or Absence of Live Play-by-Play Announcements and Commentary

This study aimed to determine how college sports team identifications and university identifications of college sports media viewers differ depending on the presence or absence of live play-by-play announcements and commentary. The participants in the experiment were 115 students from University A. A screening survey was conducted to confirm that these were essential attributes, resulting in 58 and 57 participants in the groups with commentary and without commentary, respectively. We conducted an Internet survey with these two groups of experimental participants before and after watching videos of the games. The results showed that only the group with commentary demonstrated improvements in the "public evaluation" of the college sports team and university identification (College sports team: F (1, 113) = 5.28, p < .05; University: F (1, 113) = 5.28, p < .05).

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