PRESS RELEASE
Fujitsu's high-precision skeleton recognition AI adopted to enhance figure skating athlete training
Fujitsu Limited
Kawasaki, Japan, July 5, 2025
Fujitsu Limited today announced that its high-precision skeleton recognition AI technology, which enables the digitization of three-dimensional human movements, has been adopted for use by the Japan Skating Federation. The technology will be used to analyze and enhance the training of figure skating athletes at a training camp to be held at the National Training Center, located at Kansai Airport Ice Arena, from July 3 - 5.
Conventional motion capture technology is impractical for training purposes due to the time-consuming setup, slow result output, and limitations in the number of performances that can be analyzed. Furthermore, markerless motion capture technology, which relies on general video footage for analysis in figure skating, faces challenges in accurately analyzing complex movements such as jumps and spins due to posture deviations and misrecognition. The Japan Skating Federation chose Fujitsu’s skeleton recognition AI technology, developed since 2016 in the fast-paced and complex field of gymnastics, because of its high precision and its ability to reflect analysis results in real-time.
Other features
- Technology based on the world's first and only internationally-recognized AI gymnastics scoring system
- Proprietary correction algorithms significantly reduce jitter (estimation error) in posture recognition, previously a challenge in image analysis using deep learning
- Photorealistic technology generates large amounts of training data, shortening the learning period significantly. Processes that traditionally required months of manual work can now be automated and completed within a matter of hours.
Future Plans
Fujitsu aims to expand use of its high-precision skeleton recognition AI technology beyond the sports industry into areas such as workload analysis in manufacturing, early disease detection in healthcare, and the utilization of analytical data in the entertainment sector.
Under Fujitsu Uvance, Fujitsu’s cross-industry business model to address societal issues, Fujitsu will continue to advance people's well-being in society through the use of data and AI, in collaboration with Uvance partners.
Morinari Watanabe, President, International Gymnastics Federation and Member of the International Olympic Committee, comments:
“The IOC announced the Olympic AI Agenda in 2024, recommending the use of cutting-edge technologies, including AI, to enhance scoring fairness and competitive strength. I am very pleased that training based on ice movement analysis, which was previously considered impossible, has been realized. I hope this initiative will lead to the improvement of competitive strength and the further development of the skating world.”
Yohsuke Takeuchi, Director/Chair of High Performance Figure Skating, Japan Skating Federation, comments:
"The Japan Skating Federation carries out analysis of athletes' jump performance. Marker-based 3D analysis equipment presents significant challenges, including the inability to analyze during trials and the significant time required for analysis, which delays feedback to athletes. We expect that Fujitsu's high-precision skeleton recognition AI technology and its rapid output of results will solve these problems and contribute to the swift improvement of athletes' competitive performance. The Japan Skating Federation will further expand the application of this technology and consider its use for motion analysis during competitions as part of its ongoing efforts to utilize cutting-edge technology to improve athletic performance and enhance fan engagement."
Related Links
Fujitsu’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 represent a set of common goals to be achieved worldwide by 2030.
Fujitsu’s purpose — “to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation” — is a promise to contribute to the vision of a better future empowered by the SDGs.
Press Contacts
Fujitsu Limited
Public and Investor Relations Division
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Date: 5 July, 2025
City: Kawasaki, Japan
Company: Fujitsu Limited