From Tracking to Prevention: Reimagining Wearable Technologies and the Quantified Self in Injury Prevention for Hobby Athletes
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: While wearable technologies and Quantified Self (QS) practices have become central to personal fitness, they remain primarily performance-focused, often providing feedback only after an injury has occurred. This paper investigates how QS methods can be reimagined to support proactive injury prevention. Through a participatory design approach (n = 76 survey, n = 6 co-creation workshop), a “Prevention-Action Gap” was identified where athletes neglect safety routines due to a lack of actionable, context-aware guidance. Three wearable concepts are presented – the Sport Tattoo, the Stretch-Band, and the Gym Bro – and three design considerations are derived: (1) embedding technology into material culture, (2) shifting from descriptive to prescriptive guidance, and (3) visualizing the invisible value of prevention.
Authors: Virág Tibenszki, Damla Çay
Institution: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design
Language: English
Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7214948484