Visual Analytics Of Sports Data

In this dissertation, we discuss analysis and visualization of performance anxiety in tennis matches along with confidence and momentum. We also discuss the micro-level analysis and visualization of tennis shot patterns with fractal tables and tactical rings, followed by discussion about mapping a tennis player\u27s style of play with a visual analysis technique called tennis fingerprinting. According to sports psychology, anxiety, confidence and momentum has a big impact on an athlete\u27s performance in a sport event. Although much work has been done in sports data analysis and visualization, analysis of anxiety, confidence and momentum has rarely been included in recent literature. We propose a method to analyze a tennis player\u27s anxiety level, confidence and momentum levels during a tennis match. This method is based on the psychological theories of anxiety and a database of over 4,000 professional tennis matches. Since sports data analysis and visualization can be a useful tool for gaining insights into the games, we present new techniques to analyze and visualize the shot patterns in tennis matches via our Fractal Tables and Tactical Rings. Tennis is a complicated game that involves a rich set of tactics and strategies. The current tennis analysis are usually conducted at a high level, which often fail to show the useful patterns and nuances embedded in low level data. However, based on a very detailed database of professional tennis matches, we have developed a system to analyze the serve and shot patterns so that an user can explore questions such as What are the favorite patterns of this player? What are the most effective patterns for this player? This can help tennis experts and fans gain a deeper insight and appreciation of the sport that are not usually obvious just by watching the match. Further, we present a new visual analytics technique called Tennis Fingerprinting to analyze tennis players\u27 tactical patterns and styles of play. In tennis, style is a complicated and often abstract concept that cannot be easily described or analyzed. The proposed visualization method is an attempt to provide a concrete and visual representation of a tennis player\u27s style

Micro-Level Analysis and Visualization of Tennis Shot Patterns with Fractal Tables

Sports data analysis and visualization can be a useful tool for gaining insights into the games. In this paper, we present a new technique to analyze and visualize shot patterns in tennis matches. Tennis is a complicated game that involves a rich set of tactics and strategies. The current tennis data analyses are usually conducted at a high level that often fail to show useful patterns and nuances embedded in low level data. Based on a very detailed database of professional tennis matches, we have developed a system to analyze the serve and shot patterns so that a user can explore questions such as What are the favorite patterns of this player? What are the most effective patterns for this player? This can help tennis experts, players, and fans gain deeper insight into the sport

Gestural patterns: a new method of printed textile design using motion capture technology

The aim of this research is to develop a new method, Hybrid Printing System (HPS) to explore digital craft methods to create surface patterns for printed textile design. This novel method of creating ‘handcrafted’ prints is a result of the integration of two technologies such as motion-capture (MOCAP) and digital textile printing (DTP). The research towards such an innovation required a current, historical, contextual and experimental study of use of motion capture in Art &Design. The research contextualises the hand and its relationship to digital crafting methods in printed textile design, the digital medium and the process of audience participation in printed textile design to create a new conceptual framework balanced in practice and theory. The practical research then develops three new methods of motion capture such as, motion tracing, motion sensing and motion tracking to generate gestural motifs and gestural patterns. This thesis and the accompanying set of experimental work demonstrates that HPS culminates in developing new aesthetics through a new mode of creation in a new medium, which will impact the user, the designer and the product as a part of the cyclical process. HPS is an advancement of printed textile design, centred in active participation of its audience at the generative stage of design. This results in a shifting role of a designer and subverts the current model of printed textile design practice. HPS is a democratic design process where the participants design for themselves, have their own voice, which induces a sense of community, togetherness and harmony in the creative process

History of Computer Art

A large text presents the history of Computer Art. The history of the artistic uses of computers and computing processes is reconstructed from its beginnings in the fifties to its present state. It points out hypertextual, modular and generative modes to use computing processes in Computer Art and features examples of early developments in media like cybernetic sculptures, video tools, computer graphics and animation (including music videos and demos), video and computer games, pervasive games, reactive installations, virtual reality, evolutionary art and net art. The functions of relevant art works are explained more detailed than is usual in such histories. From October 2011 to December 2012 the chapters have been published successively in German (The English translation started in August 2013 and was completed in June 2014)

Functional space-time properties of team synergies in high-performance football

This thesis aimed to investigate the performance of high-level teams in football, through the analysis of the interactions of their players in the context of the game, as these interactions result in functional effects that could not otherwise be achieved (synergies). From a spatial point of view, we argue that the understanding of collective “payoffs” emerging from players’ interactions and their behavioural patterns, can be accomplished through ”Delaunay triangulations” and consequent ”Voronoi diagrams”. Analysing the positional data (22 players and the ball) in 20 games of the French premier league, in this thesis we essentially sought to focus on territorial dominance as a variable that potentially captures the spatial affordances perceived by players. Whether from a collective global point of view or from a perspective of the local interactions that arise in the game landscape. Supported by the ecological dynamics and the synergism hypothesis, in this thesis we begin by demonstrating the existing connection between the territorial dominance of a team and the offensive effectiveness, as well as the absence of temporal overlap between the ball possession status and territorial dominance. Similarly, we also demonstrated that the space dominance of each player, which contributes to the territorial dominance of the team as a whole, is constrained by the team’s formation and the role assumed by each player in this collective framework. In order to understand the dynamics of interactions between players and the functional effects that come from it, we then focus on two tasks that are related to collective performance: the pass and the shot. Reflecting on the need to find methods that capture how the distribution of players on the pitch influences the functional degrees of freedom of a team as a whole and the passing opportunities that emerge from it. And, at the level of finishing situations, how the dominance of space can be included in the quantification of the value that each player assigns to occupy a certain place in the game landscape, and which is at the basis of their decision-making (shoot or pass the ball to another teammate possibly better ”positioned”). In sum, through the initial conceptual framework and the applied studies, we argue that the analysis of team performance should focus on the functional synergies that result from interactions between players. In this way, we demonstrate, through some examples, how the methods and conclusions taken from this thesis can be applied in practice by football coaches.Esta tese teve como objetivo investigar a performance de equipas de alto nível no futebol, através da análise das interações dos seus jogadores no contexto do jogo pois daí resultam efeitos funcionais que apenas são atingidos através dessas mesmas interações (sinergias). De um ponto de vista espacial, defendemos que o estudo glocal das interações entre os jogadores para a compreensão do rendimento coletivo, pode ser realizado através de “triangulações de Delaunay” e consequentes “diagramas de Voronoi”. Analisando os dados posicionais dos 22 jogadores e da bola, em 20 jogos da primeira liga francesa, nesta tese procurámos essencialmente nos focar sobre o domínio territorial enquanto variável que capta potencialmente as affordances espaciais percebidas pelos jogadores. Seja de um ponto de vista global coletivo, seja numa perspetiva das interações locais que surgem na paisagem de jogo. Suportados pela dinâmica ecológica e pela hipótese do sinergismo, nesta tese começamos por demonstrar a ligação existente entre o domínio territorial das equipas e a sua efetividade ofensiva, bem como a inexistência de uma sobreposição temporal entre a posse de bola e esse domínio. De igual forma, também demonstrámos que o domínio do espaço de cada jogador, que contribui para o domínio territorial da equipa no seu todo, é constrangido pelo sistema de jogo das equipas e pelo papel assumido por cada jogador neste referencial coletivo. No sentido de compreender a dinâmica das interações entre os jogadores e os efeitos funcionais que daí advêm, focamo-nos seguidamente em duas tarefas que estão relacionadas com a performance coletiva: o passe e o remate. Refletindo sobre a necessidade de encontrar métodos que captem de que forma a distribuição dos jogadores em campo influencia os graus de liberdade funcionais de uma equipa no seu todo e as oportunidades de passe que daí emergem. E, ao nível das situações de finalização, de que forma o domínio do espaço poderá ser incluído na quantificação do valor que cada jogador atribui a ocupar um determinador espaço na paisagem de jogo e que está na base da sua tomada de decisão (rematar ou passar a bola para outro colega eventualmente melhor “posicionado”). Em suma, através do enquadramento conceptual inicial e dos estudos aplicados, defendemos que o estudo da performance das equipas deverá se centrar nas sinergias funcionais que resultam das interações entre os jogadores. Desta forma, demonstramos, através de alguns exemplos, como é que os métodos e ilações retirados desta tese poderão ser aplicados na prática pelos treinadores de futebol

Capturing interpersonal coordination processes in association football : from dyads to collectives

Doutoramento em Motricidade Humana, na especialidade de Ciências do DesportoThe purpose of this thesis was to investigate how football performers coordinate their behaviours in different levels of social organisation. We began with a position paper proposing the re-conceptualisation of sport teams as functional integrated superorganisms to frame a deeper understanding of the interpersonal coordination processes emerging between team players. Time-motion analysis procedures and innovative tools were developed and presented in order to capture the superorganismic properties of sports teams and the interpersonal coordination tendencies developed by players. These tendencies were captured and analysed in representative 1vs1 and 3vs3 sub-phases, as well as in the 11-a-side game format. Data showed higher levels of variability at the individual level compared to the team level. This finding suggested that micro-variability may contribute to stabilise the behavioural dynamics at the collective level. Moreover, the specificities of the interpersonal coordination tendencies displayed within attacking-defending dyads demonstrated to have influenced the performance outcome. Attacking players tend to succeed when they were more synchronised in space and time with the defenders, and their interaction were more unpredictable/irregular. Besides, the time-evolving dynamics of the collective behaviours (i.e., at 11-a-side level) during competitive football performance indicated a tendency for an increase in the predictability (i.e., more regularity). These data were interpreted as evidencing co-adaptation processes between opponent players, which suggest that team players may shift from prevalent explorative and irregular behaviours to more predictable behaviours emerging due changes in their functional movement possibilities. However, some game events such as goals scored, halftime and stoppages in play seemed to break this continuum and acted as relevant performance constraints.FCT - Fundação para Ciência e a Tecnologi