Innovation in Figure Skating Through Technological Transformation: IoT Exploration for Real-Time Refereeing

Figure skating is a sport that fuses technical skill, creativity, and artistic expression. The qualification in this sport is based on the judges’ perception of the elements observed, despite using audiovisual means to record and reproduce the pirouettes in slow motion, the impartiality and visual acuity of the evaluators re-main essential. This research aims to analyze the forces involved in a specific fig-ure skating maneuver: “Right Back Outside Pirouette”. The contribution to the re-search is to reduce evaluation times and delivery of reliable results by integrating all the variables of the pirouette using sensors and IoT, evidencing the skater’s failures in 20 ms, compared to traditional arbitration methodologies that go in an average of 30 min. The evaluation focused on the selection of a suitable IoT module, the calibration of a force sensor, tests with a professional skater, and the evaluation of the results. Data extraction was done using an IMU inertial measurement unit with the MPU 9250 module, in addition to a DF9-40 resistive force sensor, involving the correct placement of the device on the skate, as well as effective processing and transmission of the information. The device is developed using low-cost components and a data transmission design through IoT for processing and conversion into pressure and acceleration values. During tests carried out at a professional skating rink in Ecuador. The main result was that forces were recorded that ranged between 280 and 350 psi. These results were com-pared with the forces generated during other movements in figure skating, which allowed us to identify distinctive movement patterns in the pirouette. This information provides valuable guidance for evaluating and qualifying skaters with different levels of experience.