Analysis of anthropometric measurements in U-15 female weightlifters using Kinect camera and comparison with traditional methods.

Abstract

Anthropometric measurements are important in a wide range of areas, from athlete selection to performance analysis and medical exercise applications. With its portable and cost-effective structure, Microsoft Kinect offers significant advantages in measuring human movements and provides valuable data in the fields of sports science and medicine. The aim of this study is to compare certain anthropometric measurements of adolescent female weightlifters in the U-15 age category with Kinect V2 and traditional methods. Twelve athletes who won medals in international weightlifting championships were included in the study. Anthropometric evaluations of each athlete were performed using Kinect V2 and the traditional method. Differences between measurements were analyzed with Bland-Altman plots and Pearson correlation coefficients. Kinect was found to exhibit less variability and higher coherency in measurements of humerus, forearm, trochanter-tibiale laterale, tibial lengths, and shoulder width. It has been observed that the traditional method provides more coherence results in hand length measurements. Kinect was found to exhibit less variability and higher coherency in measurements of forearm, trochanter-tibiale laterale, tibial lengths, and shoulder width, indicating its potential as a reliable tool for these parameters. Notably, Kinect demonstrated high reliability for tibial length (ICC 0.918) and moderate reliability for trochanter-tibiale laterale (ICC 0.737), showing its effectiveness in these measurements. Additionally, Kinect exhibited lower variation and higher coherency in most measurements compared to manual methods, supporting its consistency and repeatability in anthropometric assessments. These results indicate that Kinect may be a suitable tool for some measurements but that traditional methods may be preferable for hand length measurements. These findings suggest that Kinect can be used effectively for certain anthropometric measurements in sports and medical science.