Meisei University | Dr. Imafuku

■ Dr. Imafuku's Area of Expertise

At the university, I teach courses in kinesiology, sports coaching theory, and sports technology.

■ Background and Decision to Adopt SPLYZA Motion

A major factor was the "markerless" feature, as well as the convenience it offers by allowing students to instantly measure distances, speeds, and joint angle changes using their own iPhones, making it highly suitable for classroom use. Additionally, the ability to export data in CSV format provides opportunities for diverse analyses.

Before the trial, I was concerned about whether the app could accurately track movements without markers. However, upon using it, I found the stick figure visuals to be clear and easy to interpret. This reassured me that it would be fully functional for educational purposes.


■ Practical Use/Applications of SPLYZA Motion

SPLYZA Motion is primarily used in kinesiology classes for students in the health and physical education course who aim to become teachers. Students analyze movements in sports they excel at based on their athletic experience. Examples include badminton smashes, kendo strikes, basketball shots, and volleyball spikes.

Working in pairs, students record each other's movements, use SPLYZA Motion for analysis, and spend three class periods creating PowerPoint presentations to showcase their findings. This hands-on experience is expected to be valuable when integrating sports technology into their future teaching practices.



Additionally, SPLYZA Motion is incorporated into the "Sports Technology" course, a general education subject open to students from other faculties such as the Faculty of Informatics and the Faculty of Humanities. This allows students to engage with sports technology in an accessible and practical manner.

■ Effects and Value of Introducing SPLYZA Motion

Compared to marker-based motion analysis, which often involves time-consuming setup and issues like markers falling off during recording, the simplicity of SPLYZA Motion has been truly impressive. Students have also found the convenience of performing motion analysis using just an iPhone to be highly accessible and relatable.

Traditional motion analysis required expensive equipment, making it less approachable for the general public. However, with SPLYZA Motion, as long as there is an iOS device, the only cost involved is the software itself. Its ease of use and versatility make it a highly practical tool.