Real-time sonification in swimming—from pressure changes of displaced water to sound

Biography

Dr Bodo E Ungerechts is member of the ‘Steering Group of the Conference Series -Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming. He studied biology, sport science and mathematics. During the period he was completing his PhD Bodo was still an active swimmer and became a consultant of coaches to discuss aspects of propulsion in sport swimming, e.g. one of the swimmer he worked with established world record on 100 m breaststroke in 1977. Later he organised the education of top coaches for the German Swimming Federation and he is still acting as a lecturer. He conducted the first experimental tests for enterprises studying the influence of fabrics and swim wear on the swimmers’ speed. Presently Bodo working as Affiliated Professor at Bielefeld University/Germany, Dept. Neurocognition and Action Biomechanics.

Synopsis

Effects of aquatic space activities are depending on the interaction of limbs and water mass set in motion. Commonly limbs’ actions are studied intensively but its impact on water motion is less well studied. One reason might that the simple concept of speed dependent drag is thought to be sufficient. However, since water gives way to firm bodies a push-off from water is not possible and a push off from a force like drag neither. The self-induced locomotion is originated on the intermediate effect due to interaction limbs and displaced water mass which can be sensed as well as measured due to changes of static pressure (pstat). Although measured in Pascal, pstat, as a fluidal issue differs from the term ‘pressure’ known from solid state physics. In fishes flow sensing is vital whether they perceive pstat or hear it (pressure wave are similar to sound waves). In human swimming a communication about sensing the flow is not really possible due to e.g. improper terminology. Sonification of the invisible intermediate effects allows for another sensing channel of change in pstat which is not yet used in swimming evaluation [Hermann et al., 2012). The purpose is to present the state of art to provide functional sound of the displaced water mass in real-time while swimming or executing various aquatic space activities.