Systems and methods for data-driven movement skill training

Abstract

A data-driven movement skill training system is disclosed. The system uses movement skill assessment and diagnostics at distinct levels of the human movement system hierarchy to specify training goals for a user. The system may provide various augmentations that are synthesized to help the user pursue the training goals. The system may include features to track and/or manage training or learning processes.

1 . An apparatus for movement skill training, the apparatus comprising:
 a sensor system comprising one or more sensors configured to obtain movement data for a subject performing an activity;   a processor system in communication with the one or more sensors, the processor system having a microprocessor and memory configured to:
 receive the movement data from the one or more sensors, wherein the subject performs a primary movement unit associated with the activity; 
 identify one or more movement patterns from the movement data, wherein the movement patterns are associated with the subject performing the primary movement unit; 
 analyze the movement patterns to identify one or more skill attributes descriptive of the subject performing the primary movement unit; and 
 assess the one or more skill attributes to specify one or more training goals for the subject, wherein the training goals are selected to address deficiencies in the skill attributes. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, or inertial measurement units, and wherein the movement data comprise one or more of velocity, rotational velocity, acceleration or rotational acceleration descriptive of movement patterns. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of:
 a magnetometer configured to acquire direction or orientation data descriptive of the movement patterns,   a transducer configured to acquire one or more of position, velocity, pressure, strain, or torque data descriptive of the movement patterns,   an acoustic sensor configured to acquire acoustic wave data descripting descriptive of the movement patterns,   a visual sensor or camera configured to acquire image data descriptive of the movement patterns, and   a video sensor configured to acquire video data descriptive of the movement patterns.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to obtain the movement data from one or both of the subject and an associated object used by the subject to perform the primary movement unit, the movement data selected from one or more of angle, angular velocity, direction, distance, force, linear acceleration, position, pressure, rotation, rotational speed, and speed of the object, or from one or more of strain, pressure and torque on the object. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to obtain activity data descriptive of the subject performing the activity over a number of sessions distributed over a calendar period, the processor system being further configured to assess outcomes related to performance of the training goals over the calendar period, based on the activity data and the skill attributes. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the activity performed by the subject is selected from badminton, baseball, cricket, golf, rehabilitative exercises, running, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, surgery or other medical procedure, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to extract the one or more skill attributes from the one or more movement patterns to define one or more skill elements, the skill elements characterizing one or more of movement patterns for the subject to form, movement patterns for the subject to consolidate, and movement patterns for the subject to optimize. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the processing system is configured to determine a skill status by applying criteria derived from the skill attributes, the skill status defining one or more of the movement patterns for the subject to form, the movement patterns for the subject to consolidate, and the movement patterns for the subject to optimize. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the processing system is configured to:
 combine the skill elements with the skill status to generate a skill profile describing an overall skill and performance of the subject relative to population data for a population of such subjects; and;   analyze the skill attributes taking into account the skill status to produce the training goals using the population data to determine which of the movement skills to be improved.   
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processing system is further configured for a user to select one or more of the training goals based on the skill status and further configured to track and update the one or more training goals based on changes in the one or more skill elements relative to the population data. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the processing system is configured to:
 derive one or more training elements from the skill elements, wherein a skill attribute associated with one or more of the skill elements is assigned to one of the training goals; and   generate a training schedule for the subject, wherein the training schedule comprises the training elements and training goals to which the associated skill elements are assigned.   
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cueing system configured to provide audible, visual, or haptic feedback cues to the subject and   an apparatus system programmed to provide activity interactions concurrently with the subject performing the activity, to support development of specific movement patterns in conjunction with the cueing system.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a communication system configured to provide symbolic, verbal, or visual instructions to the subject, wherein the apparatus system is programmed to work conjointly with the feedback cues and instructions to support the development of the specific movement patterns. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the training goals identify one of the movement patterns to form through modification of an existing movement pattern of the subject, wherein the movement pattern is absent from the movement patterns in the collected data due to lack of differentiation among such existing movement patterns. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the training goals identify one of the movement patterns to consolidate by creating procedural memory to enable repeatable execution of the movement pattern by the subject, wherein the movement pattern is not sufficiently defined in the collected data to allow reliable execution under dynamic conditions and the deficiencies manifest as variability in the movement pattern, lack of smoothness in the movement pattern, inefficient performance of the movement pattern, or insufficient flexibility in the movement pattern with changing conditions. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the training goals identify one of the movement patterns to optimize to minimize strain on a musculoskeletal system of the subject, wherein the pattern in the collected data does not achieve a desired outcome and the deficiencies result in excessive use of force when seeking the desired outcome. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the collected data comprises population data providing reference values for the skill attributes and the training goals for the subject. 
     
     
         25 . A method of training comprising:
 assessing movement skills of a subject performing a task;   identifying deficiencies in the movement skills of the subject relative to population data for a population of such subjects;   specifying training goals for the subject to address the deficiencies in the movement skills;   providing feedback augmentation selected to induce the subject to achieve the training goals, using the population data to determine which of the movements skills to be improved; and   tracking a training process of the subject wherein identifying the deficiencies comprises relating the movement skills of the subject to the population data and specifying the training goals comprises using the population data to determine which of the movement skills to improve for a skill level of the subject to attain a desired level of proficiency.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising identifying aspects of the movement skills to be improved and in what order, wherein information extracted from the population data directs the training process to the aspects to focus on first to produce progress in the skill level. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising selecting a training element from the training plan, wherein selecting the training element indicates to a monitoring system aspects of movement performance characterizing movement skills of the subject to be monitored and the monitoring system provides notification for achievement of the at least one training goal, or a fraction thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein selecting the training element indicates to an augmentation system aspects of movement performance characterizing movement skills of the subject to be actively cued and the augmentation system provides real-time feedback cues concurrently with the movement performance, at discrete time periods during execution of the movement performance, or following an outcome of the movement performance. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising developing a training plan, wherein the training plan describes organization of a training session in terms of training elements associated with the training goals;
 wherein a plurality of the training elements are compiled in a training list arranged as a training schedule; and   wherein the training schedule comprises at least one such training session, each training session divided into a plurality of sets, and each set assigned at least one of the training goals.   
     
     
         31 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A closed-loop system for data-driven training, the system comprising:
 a sensor configured to collect one or more of movement data describing motion of a body of a user or equipment used by the user during performance of a movement, physiological data collected from muscle activity of the user during the performance, and data collected from an outcome or effect of the performance by the user;   a movement processor configured to execute:
 an assessment loop configured to collect the data from the sensor during the performance by the user; 
 a training loop configured to track progress in at least one movement skill of the user during the performance; and 
 an augmentation loop configured by the training loop to provide information to the user during the performance; 
   a cueing system comprising a cue processor configured to translate the movement data into a cue signal and a cue generator configured to translate the cue signal into a physical feedback stimulus generated by a transducer, wherein the feedback stimulus is selected from audio, visual, haptic, and symbolic; and   a feedback loop executed between the movement processor and cueing system, wherein the cueing system operates in real time to provide the feedback stimulus to the user during the performance.   
     
     
         34 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the system is configured to track at least one such performance from a plurality of such users, and wherein the system is further configured to track interactions between the performances. 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 33 , further comprising an extractor configured to extract motion elements from a target motion of the performance;
 wherein the augmentation loop collects the movement data from the user and provides motion elements to the extractor;   wherein session data are provided to the extractor and a motion model of the user is produced from output from the extractor, the motion model comprising the session data;   wherein skill assessment and diagnostics are performed on the motion model to produce a skill model, the skill model comprising reference skill data for the at least one movement skill.   
     
     
         39 - 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 33 , further comprising an instruction module configured to receive a set of target skills from the user, wherein the instruction module processes the target skills and provides the processed target skills to the training loop. 
     
     
         46 - 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the cue processor implements a finite state estimate comprising an approximation of the motion model of the user;
 wherein the cue processor implements a cueing law calculator that operates on the finite state estimate and the data collected from the sensor to determine a cue to be delivered;   wherein a feedback synthesis model determines operation of the cueing law calculator and the cueing law calculator determines what the cue should communicate to the user.   
     
     
         49 - 55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the augmentation loop provides feedback to mimic a human information processing hierarchy of the user, wherein the feedback comprises one or more of an instruction, a notification, and a cue, or the physical feedback stimulus provided in real time to the user. 
     
     
         57 . (canceled) 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the feedback comprises the instruction generated from at least one of:
 a motion model, wherein the assessment loop comprises an extractor configured to extract motion elements from a target motion of the performance by the user and the motion model is produced from output of the extractor;   a skill model, wherein the skill model is produced from assessing the motion model; and   a diagnostic assessment, wherein the diagnostic assessment identifies deficiencies in the performance of the user.   
     
     
         59 - 61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 58 , wherein the instruction synthesizes one or more cueing laws that govern the augmentation loop and provides information about a training element and an associated training goal to organize a training process for the user;
 wherein the instruction is generated at an interval during the training session, upon completing within a training set of the training session, or after the training session; and   wherein the instruction is presented to the user verbally, symbolically, or graphically.   
     
     
         63 - 67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the feedback comprises the cue provided in real time to the user, and wherein the cue comprises a discrete audible, tactile, or visual signal selected to target specific movement characteristics of the user to impact the performance or the outcome of the performance. 
     
     
         69 - 70 . (canceled) 
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the physical feedback stimulus comprises an audible, tactile, or visual stimulation of a muscle or nerve of the user provided in real time to guide the movement of the user and enhance a feature thereof. 
     
     
         72 - 73 . (canceled) 
     
     
         74 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the notification is presented verbally, symbolically, or graphically and provides information about progress of the user towards a training goal. 
     
     
         75 . (canceled) 
     
     
         76 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the feedback further comprises an activity interaction provided by an apparatus concurrently with the user performing the movement to support development of a specific movement pattern in conjunction with the cueing system. 
     
     
         77 . The system of  claim 76 , wherein the apparatus comprises:
 a ball machine configured to throw balls with different trajectories selected for the subject to form a new stroke technique or adapt an existing stroke technique; or   an assistive robotic device or robot manipulator used to physically guide movements of the subject.   
     
     
         78 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the assessment loop is configured to update a diagnostic tool for identifying deficiencies in the performance of the movement by the user;
 wherein the deficiencies are synthesized into training goals for the user; and   further comprising a training agent configured to identify training elements associated with the training goals, wherein the training agent suggests the training goals to manage a training schedule for the user.   
     
     
         79 - 83 . (canceled)