EP422: AI Movement VueMotion and the Future

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Podcast Summary Introduction Dr. Warrick Bishop, a cardiologist, author, and CEO of the Healthy Heart Network, hosts this episode featuring Ryan Talbot, president and founder of ViewMotion, a company specializing in AI-driven movement analysis technology. The two met serendipitously at an airport in Santiago and discovered a shared interest in applying advanced computer vision and machine learning to health and sports performance, leading to this discussion about how movement analysis could revolutionize injury prevention and athletic performance. Key Takeaways: ViewMotion uses computer vision and machine learning to analyze human movement from standard smartphone video (4K, 60fps), converting video data into detailed movement metrics with centimeter-level accuracy by calibrating the scene with five cones. The technology generates comprehensive reports including split times, maximum speed, asymmetries between left and right legs, ground contact time, flight time, and a step quality score compared against normative datasets based on age, gender, sport, and anthropometric values. Coaches receive three prioritized recommendations for athlete improvement based on algorithmic analysis that identifies force deficiencies, velocity deficiencies, or movement deficiencies specific to each individual. The system can analyze multiple athletes rapidly (US Soccer completed 120 analyses in 14 minutes) and is used weekly by major professional sports teams across most major team sports globally. Movement analysis in natural environments is critical because injuries often occur during acceleration, deceleration, lateral movement, and direction changes—conditions that cannot be accurately measured in laboratory or static settings. AI is an umbrella term encompassing multiple technologies including computer vision (using imaging/video), machine learning (using learning models), and large language models, which ViewMotion combines for comprehensive movement analysis. Identifying and correcting movement asymmetries is essential for injury prevention, as imbalances create compounding negative effects and improper movement patterns often result from inadequate initial training or incomplete rehabilitation after injury. Visual feedback through augmented reality overlays on video is crucial for athlete buy-in and learning, as numerical data alone from GPS and force plates is less effective for understanding what improvements are needed and why.