Sounds like a game-changing dream for athletes?

At IIT Delhi, all of it is being shaped into a reality for the future in collaboration with the University of Exeter.

The two institutions combined with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to conduct the Spring School in Sports Technology, Machine Learning and Data Analytics here last week where the "rapidly evolving intersection of sports and advanced technology" was discussed threadbare by domain experts, researchers and students.

Dr Biswarup Mukherjee, Associate Professor at the IIT's Centre for Biomedical Engineering, spoke to PTI to explain the twin innovations that have the potential to revolutionise injury management and injury prevention going forward.

"Coaches could monitor exactly how much force an athlete's forearm or leg muscles produce during a throw, swing, or sprint without attaching bulky electrodes. Fatigue tracking, injury prevention, and real-time biofeedback during training become possible with a slim wristband," Mukherjee explains in his research paper on the wearable sensor for which he is collaborating with Professor Dominic Farris from Exeter's Department of Public Health and Sports Science.

It relies on Sonomyography, a painless ultrasound that is used to monitor progress after a stroke or nerve injury. Mukherjee said it is like a "microphone that hears what your muscles are doing even before you complete a movement." And it can be a handy tool for injury-prevention in sports.

"Traditional motion-capture systems, used by elite clubs and sports science labs,

require rows of cameras, reflective markers, and a controlled indoor environment. They are expensive, complex, and entirely impractical on a real training ground.

"A wearable ultrasound sensor changes the game entirely. By monitoring how muscles and tendons move and load during activity, coaches and medical staff could receive live data on an athlete's movement patterns, spotting the subtle changes in technique that often precede a torn hamstring, a stress fracture, or a damaged ligament," said Mukherjee.

"Early warnings could allow a physio to pull a player from training before a minor strain becomes a season-ending injury."

At the IIT's Centre for Sensors, Instrumentation and Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering (SeNSE), Professor Shahid Malik talked about a "field-ready neural bridge technology designed to monitor brain health" with focus on cricket.

This is being designed in collaboration with Professor Genevieve Williams at the University of Exeter and is likely to enter the testing phase in another one year.

"By combining a mechanical filter with ultra-low-power lock-in amplifiers, we've ensured that the high-tech sensors remain stable and synchronised during a massive 150km/hr impact.

"It is no longer just a piece of protective gear; it is a medical-grade diagnostic laboratory that detects hidden internal injuries the moment they occur," said Malik.

If it passes the test, the headgear would not just be able to detect the exact impact of concussion in cricket but also help understand brain functioning in other impact/contact sports such as basketball, hockey, boxing or judo during training.

Concussions can cause long-term neurological damage as was evident from the unfortunate case of Australian opener William Pucovski, whose promising cricket career was cut short at 27 after multiple concussion injuries.

The IIT Delhi team says it has integrated brain-mapping sensors (fNIRS) and motion-tracking chips (IMU) directly into a uniquely designed Spider-Mount suspension (an audio accessory) inside the helmet that could cost a very reasonable Rs 10,000.

"The heart of the invention is an ultra-low-power high-resolution sensing hub capable of detecting brain signals millions of times smaller than a standard battery voltage," says the team.

"...even during a 150 km/hr impact, the electronic sensors remain perfectly synchronised with the scalp...the system can see through the violent vibrations of a hit, recording the brain's internal response with medical-grade clarity while others would only see digital noise."

Currently, concussion assessment is based on a doctor's observation after the player leaves the field. This innovation would allow diagnosis on the boundary line, telling coaches immediately if a player's brain function is impaired.

"By combining fNIRS brain imaging with motion sensors, we are finally able to see the invisible bridge between a physical hit and neurological health in real-world sporting environments," said Professor Williams from the University of Exeter.

Asked if any cricketing body is on board for support or collaboration on this, Malik said the team wants to conduct field tests before exploring that possibility.

But he does believe that this technology will become "standard" in all contact sports, ensuring that "the gentleman's game remains as safe as it is exciting".