The software developed in this project is being used as an educational tool by United States Olympic coaches to enhance the effectiveness of the training process. The software generates a fast, realtime, approximation of a 3-D model of a flexible diver's torso and flexible springboard. The modeling permits all possible body configurations of a diver, and all springboard positions. The software interface is intuitive and comfortable, and provides realtime response on the computer display. The parameters of body joint angles can be obtained from either video records or by interacting with a program user. This provides an opportunity for coaches and divers to elaborate on a set of keyframes revealing the most significant components to be improved or mastered for particular dives. The software also provides the basis for estimating the similarities and differences in the divers and coaches notions about ideal diving performances. Additionally, these notions can be compared with the athletes actual diving performances (obtained from video records) and the best world performances of the same diving catagories. The software allows one to interactively change the point of observation in real time while providing a variety of manipulations with keyframes: comparison of multiple keyframes, selecting the right keyframes from the redundant set of body configurations, and, organizing a randomly presented set of keyframes in the proper order.
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