E187 ‘Advancing Athlete Health with AI’ with KineMo’s Ciarán Simms

Today’s guest is Ciarán Simms, Chief Scientific Officer at KineMo. Bridging the gap between human movement and AI holds a promise to revolutionise athlete performance and injury prevention. Ciarán sheds light on this fascinating intersection with the incredible work they do at KineMo during his insightful podcast.

As the episode begins, Ciarán shares how he started his career as a biomechanical engineer, a field focused on understanding the mechanics of human movement and injury. With over two decades as a professor at Trinity College Dublin, specialising in injury biomechanics, Ciarán has always been driven by a desire to make impactful changes in safety and sports science.

His journey into the world of startups began a decade ago when pondering head injuries and concussions in sports, particularly through collaboration with Leinster Rugby. The need to automate video analysis of athlete movements sparked the conception of KineMo. This company now focuses on creating technology that assists physios and coaches with an efficient way to monitor and assess athlete performance.

The podcast delves into the challenges and solutions Ciarán and his team at KineMo have faced. By translating their research findings into an app for elite sports coaches and physios, they aim to quantify what has often been assessed qualitatively. Using AI technology, their system analyses video footage to provide data on joint positions and angles in three-dimensional space.

Hosting trials with national governing bodies across cricket, rugby and soccer, they use this technology to track athlete’s performance, form baselines for movement and aid in rehabilitation processes. This measure directly links back to improved performance and reduced injury risks, crucial elements for both athletes and coaches.

AI’s role in enhancing sports technology cannot be overstated. Ciarán explains how KineMo employs AI models for 2D key point estimation, which determines joint positions in images and 3D position calculations from these key points. As their user data expands, the potential for deeper insights into improving training regimens and recovering from injuries grows.

The significance of accurate data is paramount. KineMo’s efforts to establish a reliable dataset through extensive experimentation emphasise how essential preparation and patience are, laying a foundation that others can build upon.

Though initially targeted at elite sports teams, KineMo’s technology exhibits broader applications. It extends beyond the pitch, offering potential benefits for general population health assessments and aiding in preventing injuries in various scenarios.

Ciarán believes that the goal of improving societal movement patterns should be prioritised alongside helping top-tier athletes. His vision involves leveraging this technology to promote healthier lifestyles on a societal scale, including collaborations with health institutes in places like Abu Dhabi.

Throughout the episode, Ciarán highlights the importance of patience and resilience in technological innovations and startup ventures. He advises embracing the roller coaster journey of development, savouring the achievements and learning from the setbacks. His story and insights are a testament to the fact that persistence and collaboration can lead to groundbreaking advancements in sports technology and beyond.

KineMo’s journey illustrates the transformative potential of AI when applied to understand and enhance human movement. By quantifying athletic performance, they are pioneering a new frontier that not only benefits athletes but also offers impressive prospects for improving general human health and movement in the future. As KineMo continues to grow, the potential for societal impact underscores the expanding role of AI in shaping the future of sports and health industries.