An Investigation into the Use of Tactile Instructions in Snowboarding.

International audienceIn many sports, athletes are spatially separated from their coach while practicing an exercise. This spatial separation makes learning new skills arduous because the coach cannot give instructions or feedback on performance. We present the findings of an in the wild study that demonstrate the potential for teaching sport skills with realtime tactile instructions. We focused on snowboard training. Ten amateurs learned a riding technique with a wearable system that automatically provided tactile instructions during descents. These instructions were in sync with the movements of the snowboard and signaled how to move the body. We found that tactile instructions could help snowboarders to improve their skills. We report insights into the snowboarders' opinion and give recommendations for teaching sport skills with tactile instructions. Our findings help to identify the conditions under which tactile instructions can support athletes in sports training