This section aims to provide an overview of the project
VERTix is a vertical jump evaluation platform designed to assist physiotherapists and physical trainers in monitoring the recovery and performance of their patients. The platform provides a fast, easy, and precise way to measure jump height, airtime, reaction speed, and to generate visual data such as force-vs-time graphs for each leg. Additionally, it uses motion analysis to identify whether the patient is performing the jump with correct form.
This system addresses the lack of accurate and visual feedback tools in physiotherapy environments. By extracting relevant metrics from a patient's vertical jump, VERTix offers valuable insights into joint and muscle health — a practice still uncommon in many physical therapy clinics. With its accessible interface and clear visualizations, the platform enhances the therapist’s ability to track patient progress and detect asymmetries or improper movement patterns during rehabilitation.
Today, physiotherapy clinics and gyms rarely have access to tools that provide detailed and reliable measurements of a patient’s vertical jump performance. Although the vertical jump can reflect key aspects of lower limb strength, coordination, and recovery, it's often evaluated in a subjective or imprecise manner.
There are three main issues here. First, therapists have no simple way to track small improvements in jump height or force over time, which are crucial in injury recovery. Second, patients lack a clear and visual understanding of their own progress, which can affect motivation and trust in the rehabilitation process. And finally, metrics like force symmetry, airtime, and reaction speed — which could help identify imbalances or risks of re-injury — are rarely monitored.
What we are proposing is a platform that brings these capabilities together in one accessible tool.
The VERTix system is composed of three main components: a mobile application used by the physical educator or physiotherapist, a smart platform responsible for measuring the jump, and a cloud-based backend that stores and processes the collected data.
To initiate a vertical jump evaluation, the physical educator — let’s say Alice — begins by registering a patient, Bob, through the mobile app. She inputs Bob’s basic information, such as height, weight, and age. Once the profile is set, Alice selects the type of jump to be performed and taps the Start Jump button. This action sends Bob’s data to the platform, which then enters a waiting for patient state.
When Bob steps onto the platform, the system begins to validate the presence of the correct patient by comparing the force detected by the load cells with Bob’s registered weight. Once the measured force matches the expected value within an acceptable margin, the platform transitions to the waiting for jump state.
At this point, the camera starts recording. As soon as Bob jumps and lands, the system detects a force spike upon landing — this marks the end of the jump and triggers the transition to the jump recorded state. The system then identifies the initial spike in force (jump takeoff) and trims the video accordingly, isolating the relevant segment.
All data — including raw force values, timestamps, video footage, and initial patient metadata — is then transmitted to the cloud system. Once received, the data is analyzed to extract metrics such as jump height, airtime, reaction speed, and force symmetry between the legs. The processed results are saved and immediately available through the mobile app.
Now, Alice can access a detailed report under Bob’s profile, complete with charts, numerical insights, and a visual representation of his performance — offering an objective and comprehensive view of his current physical condition.