British Association for the Advancement of Science festival:Technology and engineering are changing the face of athletic endeavour, writes Kristin Goldring.
New engineering techniques are being developed to make sporting greatness an achievable and realistic target.
Engineers and scientists are developing and testing new equipment that could propel athletes towards that elusive winning post, giving them a vital edge.
At the festival of science yesterday, there was discussion on a new body sensor to make performance monitoring less invasive, adapting skis for improved performance, and making the flight of a football more consistent.
Prof Guang Zhong Yang from Imperial College London described his development work on an unobtrusive body sensor, which clips behind the ear. The sensor can monitor the body, collecting and transmitting data to a hand-held device or laptop.
"The sensor we're working on is inspired by the semicircular canals of the inner ear, which play a key role in controlling our motion and balance," said Prof Guang.
"It does not hinder performance, yet can gather unprecedented wide-ranging and useful data about posture, stride length, step frequency, acceleration, response to shock waves travelling through the body, etc."
The sensor will enable athletes to refine their sprinting technique for example, and information obtained from vibrations in the joints may also help them to avoid injury.
"The wireless transmitter allows feedback in real time. Having biomechanical data available there and then, during a training session, can make the whole process of improving sporting technique much quicker and easier," he stated.
Prof Guang expects the sensor to be available for sprinters within 12 to 18 months and eventually also for rowers and other athletes.
Prof Peter Styring from the University of Sheffield has developed a self-waxing device for skis. The process doesn't alter how skis feel and handle in turns but does increase speed.
"The challenge is to make [those who use the] skis faster than [ their] competitors whilst keeping the design legal. It is a challenge like those of Formula One," Prof Styring told the festival.
"The device replaces the rise plate and fits between the ski and the binding. The device is a sealed reservoir of waxy lubricant with a series of tiny valves and pipework continuously delivering an optimum amount of lubricant to the base of the ski," explained Prof Styring.
"The device, which complies with all International Ski Federation rules and is the only one of its kind in the world to be routinely tested and proven, could make a dramatic entry on to the skiing scene in the 2008-2009 World Cup," predicted Prof Styring.
Tests have shown that the device increases speed by up to 2 per cent on real snow and up to 8 per cent on artificial snow. It can be used to modify existing skis or could be incorporated in to the manufacture of new skis.
"The device could make two seconds difference over a two minute downhill race - that is the difference between first and 25th [ place]," he said.
The lubricant is biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
Dr Andy Harland from Loughborough University told the festival how computer modelling can help create products like footballs whose flight is more consistent.
"Our computer models can provide invaluable technical input. Kicking robots can be used to ensure consistency in kicking when testing the performance of a ball that is being designed to improve sphericity, for example," explained Dr Harland.
His group tested the design of the balls used in the last World Cup in Germany.
A novel method of manufacture ensured that there was no stitching on the outer panels of the ball, as they were thermally formed.
"Adidas needed to be confident the ball would satisfy FIFA standards and outperform previous balls" he said.
"It's ironic that a largely sedentary activity like developing computer models can make a real contribution to the quality of sporting performance and the enjoyment millions of people derive from physical activity."