Impact dynamometer for martial arts and sports training

Abstract

This device assists individuals training in the fighting arts, or athletes performing impacts or tackles in sports. It makes detailed measurements of the energy and force sustained by a target from an impact performed by a test subject and immediately displays feedback information showing the power and effectiveness of the impact performed. The device comprises: an impact target designed to provide a predetermined amount of resistance to the force of an impact, while allowing unrestricted linear displacement in the opposite direction of the force; a sensor means for detecting the velocity of target displacement at predetermined sampling intervals; an electronic interface to measure and store data received from the sensor means; application software residing in a computer processor, which receives stored data from the electronic interface, and interprets the data and; a computer to process software application instructions.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An impact dynamometer comprising: 
 a target;    friction resistance to movement of said target; and    inertial resistance to movement of said target.    
     
     
         2 . The impact dynamometer of  claim 1 , further comprising a target constructed so that the application of an impact force on said target causes said target assembly it to accelerate linearly in the opposite direction of the force.  
     
     
         3 . The impact dynamometer of  claim 1 , further comprising means for altering the inertial resistance to acceleration of said target, whereby said inertial resistance is altered by changing the weight of said target to a predetermined amount.  
     
     
         4 . The impact dynamometer of  claim 1 , further comprising means for detecting the linear displacement of said target at intervals of approximately one millimeter as it is accelerated, whereby an electrical voltage pulse is generated for each detected interval of displacement.  
     
     
         5 . The impact dynamometer of  claim 1 , further comprising a structural framework containing an arrangement of friction-reducing contact points on which said target is supported, whereby said target is allowed and guided in a linear path during said acceleration.  
     
     
         6 . The impact dynamometer of  claim 1 , further comprising means for altering the non-inertial resistance to acceleration of said target, whereby the said non-inertial resistance can be altered from none to a predetermined amount, using mechanical friction or electromagnetic inductance.  
     
     
         7 . A method of using a computer processor to analyze a plurality of characteristics of force and kinetic energy, as they are assimilated by a stationary target of predetermined characteristics, during an impact by an object under continual propulsion, having unstable velocity and mass, wherein direct measurements of the reaction of said target during contact with the impacting object are made and used.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising signaling the test subject to begin the impact event, using a visual and audible signal mounted on the target face, whereby the subject initiates the impact event, and a voltage pulse is sent to the electronics indicating the event has begun.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising detecting the instant when movement of the test subject has begun, using a motion detection device resulting in a voltage pulse being sent to the electronics to indicate that motion has begun.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising detecting the beginning of contact between the impact of the subject and the target, using an electronic switch (a membrane switch is used in the description, but many other kinds could work as well), resulting in a change in output voltage state, being monitored by the electronics, indicating that contact is occurring.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising detecting the end of the contact between the impact of the subject and the target, using same switch as above, resulting in a change in output voltage state in the opposite direction, indicating that contact has ended.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising a clock pulse generator, for generating a series of continuous pulses.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising a binary counter which is incremented by the above clock pulse generator, which accumulates one count for each pulse received, and outputs the binary value of the total number of clock pulses it has received.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , in which the binary value can be reset to zero.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising using one or more microcontrollers to read, store and reset the output value of the binary counter upon receiving a specified voltage pulse.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising measuring the elapsed time between signaling the test subject to initiate the impact event, and the detection of movement by the test subject by said motion sensor.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising measuring the elapsed time between detecting subject motion, and contact between the subject and the target.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising measuring the elapsed time between detection of each increment of linear target displacement.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising transmitting all stored measurements to the computer memory via serial interface connection, in the order in which the measurements were made.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising receiving the measurements recorded by the microprocessor and placing them in memory storage for later access by the computer processor for analysis calculations.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising receiving data about the test subject by means of manual input by the device operator.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising calculating the amount of time required for the test subject to initiate movement after the visual and audible signal to begin was activated.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising calculating the amount of time required for the test subject to complete pre-contact propulsion of the initiated impact after subject movement was detected.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising calculating a plurality of measurements of dynamic characteristics resulting from the impact during each increment of target displacement, and for the total contact time with the target, comprising velocity, acceleration, force, and impulse.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising reporting information provided by the analysis in both on-screen and hard-copy formats.  
     
     
         26 . A method for analyzing a plurality of force and energy characteristics applied to a target, resulting from an non-projectile impact performed by a human test subject using direct physical contact, wherein the amount of mass and force applied to the target during the application of force may be variable and unstable, using direct measurement of target reaction during the impact.  
     
     
         27 . A method of analyzing a plurality of performance characteristics of a test subject, striking a target by punching, kicking, tackling, or similar means, whereby deficiencies in the striking performance of said test subject can be identified and reported, for instructional purposes,