The entire Clemson University community is invited to use Physimax at the Campus Recreation department. (Photo by Mary Ann Chastain/Getty Images)
Physimax’s markerless motion-capture movement analysis platform has already been aiding NBA teams like the Indiana Pacers, major Division I college programs, and the U.S. military. Now, that high-tech assessment is available beyond those elite athletes and soldiers through a new partnership with Clemson University’s Campus Recreation department.
The musculoskeletal (MSK) evaluation generated by Physimax’s proprietary software is available to students, faculty, and staff at Clemson and a few peer schools in the region, as well as to local police officers, firefighters, and community members.
“Having an easy-to-use scientific solution, which provides an objective and immediate MSK snapshot accompanied with recommended individualized training program, gives every athlete the opportunity to train like a pro—understand his personal and unique issues for mobility, strength, movement control and track it regularly via mobile to improve,” Physimax CEO Ram Shalev wrote in an email.
The unique collaboration arose after Dana Van Pelt—the head of Clemson’s Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine group—learned about Physimax from one of the tech company’s other clients. Van Pelt, who has a clinical doctorate from Temple, and the rest of his staff will oversee the implementation of Physimax. The goal is to help everyone boost their physical self-awareness, customize an exercise program, and reduce injury risk.
Physimax, a startup based in Tel Aviv, utilizes computer vision to detect muscular asymmetries or other risk factors in only a few minutes of testing. Machine learning then produces actionable recommendations to compensate for those issues.
“For recreational athletes or people who are engaged with intensive physical activity/training, the personal awareness of musculoskeletal condition is even more crucial,” Shalev wrote. “Monitoring and highlighting MSK flags [is helpful] without having someone who can actually treat and guide them very closely and regularly; through the MSK snapshot, these athletes can now perform better and stay away of injuries on their day-to-day activities.”
SportTechie Takeaway
Most advances in sports science technology have been relegated to the realm of elite athletics. Consumer products tend to be simplified versions, but this partnership is making Physimax’s core product available to a wide swath of the population. Those not a part of a major sports team are, as Shalev indicated, likely to need the support of technology even more, both as a diagnostic tool and a training guide.
