Capabilities
Capabilities
Developing innovative technology, conducting research, and enhancing human performance across athlete personas.
Athlete Personas
With the knowledge that athletic ability plays into a variety of fields outside of sports, MSU’s research divides these areas into distinct Athlete Personas:
The student and professional athletes in competition.
AEI advances sports performance through data-driven research and technology integration. Since 2018, we have partnered with MSU Athletics to support performance testing, athlete monitoring, and visualization of key metrics to inform training and recovery. Our work includes applied validation of emerging sport technologies and collaborations with industry partners such as STRIVE, CoolMitt, and Tsunami Bar to translate innovations into practice.
The military warfighter and emergency responder.
AEI supports tactical populations through research focused on improving training readiness, performance, and resilience. Our work includes cadet assessment, physiological monitoring during training, and integration of wearable technologies to inform decision-making. We have partnered with organizations such as Mississippi Highway Patrol and Columbus Air Force Base to advance data-driven approaches in performance analysis, visualization, and ergonomic assessment.
The repetitive motion task worker in manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and other service industries.
AEI applies athlete-centered methodologies to industrial workers to reduce injury risk and improve performance in physically demanding environments. Our projects focus on integrating wearable sensors and motion capture technologies to assess movement patterns, workload, and fatigue. We have collaborated with industry partners including PACCAR, ABB, and Toyota, delivering ergonomic assessments, data visualization tools, and human factors insights to support safer and more efficient operations.
The injured and vulnerable populations in rehabilitation and recovery.
AEI extends its expertise to individuals at risk of injury or functional decline, including those in rehabilitation and aging populations. Our work leverages wearable and motion capture technologies to assess balance, postural control, fall risk, and cognitive-motor performance. In collaboration with clinical partners such as the University of Mississippi Medical Center, we conduct research aimed at improving assessment methods and supporting recovery through data-driven insights into conditions such as long COVID, aging-related decline, and injury rehabilitation.
Technologies
At the Athlete Engineering Institute, we work in many areas of research to help support MSU's research and development initiatives. These resources are used to collaborate with other units and departments across campus, as well as develop novel technologies for the marketplace. Some of our core technologies available include:
The Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL) system includes a dual-belt instrumented treadmill, 10-camera Vicon markered motion capture, fall harness, and 180-degree virtual immersive environment. This system can be used for a variety of applications including athlete rehabilitation, gait and running analysis, biofeedback, and validation of wearable technologies.
Our lab has a dedicated 18' x 28' volume for collecting a variety of data including markered (Vicon), markerless (ENABLE), and IMU-based (IMeasureU) motion capture. This data can be collected synchronously with force plate, EMG, and other analog data through our integrations with the MotionMonitor xGen.
AEI has 12' x 30' makerspace that can be used for a variety of prototyping operations. This includes 3D printing, soldering, PCB design, and sewing for soft sensor integration. We have previous experience developing prototypes that span modalities such as joint angle estimation, pressure sensing, and core body temperature monitoring.
Whether it's a wearable or a widget, our team has performed extensive research studies validating efficacy and accuracy of various technologies on the market. We actively collaborate with industry partners to produce whitepapers and publications to better inform vendors and the research community on how they can better design and produce technologies that users can trust.
We are able to develop a suite of human performance assessments tailored to specific needs such as tactical or sport athlete readiness. We use a variety of technologies including the VALD technology suite and markerless motion capture to gather metrics that can better inform the training needs of athletes.
Research
Our team has worked on many projects to help grow and innovate across multiple industries.
Education
The Athlete Engineering Institute works in collaboration with Mississippi State University Athletics, Bagley College of Engineering, the Department of Kinesiology, and the School of Human Sciences to engage students in a research program that uses both laboratory equipment and wearable technologies to explore human performance.