Ski Tip Display: Design and Implementation of an Unobtrusive Ski Mounted Visual Feedback System for Alpine Skiing.
Thomas Grah (2025): Ski Tip Display: Design and Implementation of an Unobtrusive Ski Mounted Visual Feedback System for Alpine Skiing. In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support
This paper presents the design, implementation, and field evaluation of SkiTip Display, a ski-mounted LED feedback system that provides terminal visual feedback on carving angle to support skill development in alpine skiing. Developed through a participatory design process with domain experts, the system was deployed in-the-wild and tested with nine recreational skiers. Results from sensor-based metrics and post-session interviews suggest that ski-mounted visual feedback is perceivable, motivating, and well-suited for post-run reflection, though not actionable during motion. We report key lessons on feedback timing, simplicity, and trust, and discuss implications for designing embedded performance feedback in high-speed outdoor sports. This work contributes to the field by expanding the design space for equipment-integrated feedback systems and by articulating challenges of in-the-wild deployment in dynamic environments.
