In a sprint race the start is an important factor in the overall performance of the event. One important component of the start is the reaction time. The current auditory reaction time limit in sprint starts is set at 100 milliseconds by the IAAF, although it has previously been set at higher levels, (IAAF rule 162.10). However research, along with anecdotal evidence from elite athletes, has suggested that quicker auditory reactions can be achieved (Thompson et al. 1992). Systems used in competition appear to have high detection thresholds. Humans seem to be very capable in identifying the early onset of movement or force from the complex background motion as they make use of information that is not localized to the point in time of interest (Corbetta and Thelen, 1995). The aim of this study is to develop an automatic detection system to identify the earliest possible onset of active, responsive force to an auditory stimulus in a sprint start by utilizing detection techniques that also use non-localized information.
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