Future Technology Arrives at Kinesiology Faculty: Athletes to Analyze Every Movement

The Kineziološki fakultet (Faculty of Kinesiology) at the University of Zagreb has completed the KINNOVATE project, a 2.35 million euro investment that establishes one of Croatia's most technologically advanced centers for sports diagnostics, biomechanics, and human performance research. This initiative represents the largest infrastructure investment in the Faculty's history over the last 50 years and is financed by European Union funds through the NextGenerationEU instrument.

The project encompasses the renovation of a sports hall and the acquisition of cutting-edge equipment. This new facility will be available not only to students and researchers but also to professional sports clubs, national federations, elite athletes, and healthcare and rehabilitation centers. The official opening of the KINNOVATE center is scheduled for June 29 at the Faculty premises.

Dean Tomislav Rupčić highlighted the project as a significant advancement for Croatian sports and science. He stated that students and researchers will now work with world-class equipment, and importantly, the center's doors are open to Croatian sports organizations, professional clubs, top athletes, and health institutions. Among the advanced systems installed is Theia3D technology, which uses artificial intelligence and synchronized cameras for markerless, three-dimensional motion analysis, enabling detailed biomechanical assessments without sensors on the athlete's body.

The center also features Movella/Xsens wearable sensor systems for real-time movement analysis during training and competitions, a specialized gait analysis treadmill (h/p/cosmos gaitway 3D – Arsalis), and the KangaTech 360 PRO system, which is utilized by professional sports teams, including NBA organizations. A dedicated component of the project focuses on research in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and neuroscience, with the GALEA Varjo XR-3 system allowing for the simulation of competitive environments and the analysis of athletes' attention, reaction times, and decision-making processes. The Faculty anticipates that nearly 2,500 students will benefit from daily access to technologies used in leading global sports science centers, reinforcing the institution's role in integrating sport, science, health, and new technologies.

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This is the largest investment in the Faculty's infrastructure in the last 50 years. From today, our students learn, and our scientists research using world-class equipment. But it is equally important that we are opening the doors of the KINNOVATE center to Croatian sports federations, professional clubs, top athletes, and health institutions.