Inspiring Sports Technology
Sports footwear
Loughborough Sports Technology Institute develops UK sprinters
Monday, September 6th, 2010
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8206760.stm
Dr. Dan Toon at the Loughborough University Sports Technology Institute is interviewed regarding Usain Bolt’s success in sprinting. The technology institute is working on techniques to improve British sprinters performance through rapid manufacturing and customised sprint spikes.
Please click on the link above.
Nike release Flywire for design efficiency
Monday, September 6th, 2010
Nike have taken a new direction in footwear design; their aim to create and encompass design efficiency. They have termed their new innovation Flywire. Based on the efficient design of a suspension bridge, this technology aims to optimise the use of materials and manufacturing process to reduce weight and increase support. The design is set to debut in Beijing Olympics; a prototype is shown below.
For more information see coolhunting.
Amputee sprinter, Pistorius, to go to Olympics?
Monday, September 6th, 2010
Probably the hottest topic on everyone’s lips is whether Oscar Pistorius will compete in the Beijing Olympics. The Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne, Switzerland, has ruled that Pistorius is eligible to participate in International Association of Athletics Federations sanctioned competitions. If Pistorius can produce a qualifying time then he will be the first amputee to compete in an Olympic athletic discipline.
The judgement made by the Court of Arbitration for Sports was based on results from a study conducted in MIT by Professor Hugh Herr of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab.
Specifically, the scientists concluded that:
Pistorius’ ability to maintain speed over the course of longer sprints–his speed-duration relationship–is essentially identical to that of able-bodied runners, indicating that he fatigues in the same manner as able-bodied sprinters.
Pistorius’ rates of metabolic energy expenditure do not differ from elite non-amputee runners. In particular, he has nearly the same running economy, or rate of oxygen consumption at submaximal speeds, and a similar maximal rate of oxygen consumption as elite non-amputee runners.
For more detail, please read the following article published by Science Daily.
Rice University. “Study Revives Olympic Prospects For Amputee Sprinter.” ScienceDaily 16 May 2008. 29 May 2008 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/05/080516103833.htm>.
Customised sprint spikes using rapid manufacturing
Monday, September 6th, 2010
Text by Loughborough University Press.
Next generation sprint spikes, tailored to meet the exact needs of elite athletes and boost their performance, have been developed by Loughborough University.
Sprint times for top athletes have increasingly narrow margins. This was highlighted in the 2004 Athens Olympics, where the men’s 100m gold medal winning time was 9.85 seconds – just 0.01 of a second faster than the athlete in second place. Therefore anything which can give a sprinter the leading edge can make the difference between medals won and lost.
By customising the sole units of sprint spikes to match the characteristics of individual athletes, researchers at Loughborough have been able to maximise the performance of elite runners – doubling the amount of mechanical energy they generated at the ankle in a sprint related task.
The research team, based in the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, used a rapid manufacturing process – selective laser sintering – to create the personalised outsoles, altering the stiffness to suit the specific requirements of elite sprinters. Selective Laser Sintering uses laser energy to sinter small particles of plastic to create precise, complex 3D components, doing away with the need for expensive moulds and tooling. This enabled the researchers to easily change the properties of the footwear to match the needs of the individual athletes. As a result their full explosive power could be harnessed – a critical factor for both sprinters and jumpers.
“Sole units of varying stiffness were attached to standard sprint spike uppers and mechanical tests were carried out in order to quantify stiffness,” explains Loughborough’s Dan Toon, who conducted the research. “A series of sprint related tasks were performed by elite athletes in sprint shoes of differing stiffness and a barefoot equivalent control shoe. Three-dimensional motion data and force data were collected for each trial in order to quantify performance.”
The research found that the dynamics of the ankle and foot are influenced by the mechanical properties of footwear. Furthermore, performance was individually maximised within the stiffness range, highlighting the importance of personalised footwear.
Dan added: “Appropriate prescription of longitudinal bending stiffness in sprint spikes to a particular individual approximately doubled the amount of mechanical energy an athlete generated at the ankle in a sprint related task.”
The three-year study was performed as part of a wider five year, £2 million project funded by the University’s Innovative Manufacturing and Construction Research Centre (IMCRC). This multi-disciplinary centre undertakes leading-edge research to boost competition in the UK’s manufacturing and construction industries and is funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The project was also supported by a number of industry partners from the USA and Europe, including global athletic company New Balance. Led by Dr Neil Hopkinson, the research is a collaboration between the University’s world leading Rapid Manufacturing Research Group, Sports Technology Institute and Design Ergonomics Research Group.
Professor Mike Caine, Director of the Sports Technology Institute said: “This research shows great promise, and the vision is for this technology to be established by 2012, to help boost the medal winning opportunities of British sprinters in London and beyond. It could also be applied to a number of other sports.”
Dr Hopkinson added: “The long term aim of this research is to allow members of the public to have their own personalised footwear. Achieving success with elite athletes will prove to be the catalyst, allowing our processes to be applied to everyone.”
For further information about the project, including a selection of images visit: www.lboro.ac.uk/eng/research/imcrc/news-releases/sprintspikes/
Sprint spikes with more feel and spilt-toe design
Monday, September 6th, 2010
Design for Industry student, Robert Young, has developed a sprint spike with more feel using a split toe design. Working in collaboration with sport footwear manufacturers and Craig Pickering, Robert has also positioned the spikes for maximum traction. Furthermore, Robert believes the sprint spikes allow minor muscle movement enhancing stability and feel.
