Data analysis on high-tech battlefield of competitive sports

Now, sports competition is not only the athletes physical fitness and technology competition, but also extended to the sports science and Technology contest. Especially in international competitions, the National science and technology, economic power has long been the game behind a dark war.

From the "Shark skin" in the pool, the carbon fiber bar on the high jump, the gold running shoes on the dash, and the controversy over the carbon fiber prosthesis of the South African "blade fighter" in the Olympic arena, High-tech help athletes keep creating records, but also because of the excessive power, High-tech equipment in the arena has ups and downs.

High-tech equipment develops in dispute

Looking at today's sports arena in a strong sense of fashion and the embodiment of High-tech athletes, we can hardly imagine at the ancient Olympic Games, the athletes almost naked combat scene, at that time is a complete competition for personal energy and technology era. "Faster, higher, stronger" the Olympic concept, let technology found a new way of development, to help athletes play a greater potential.

The College of Physical Technology and innovation at the University of Fort Lauderdale has led a number of projects to advance sports equipment and train innovation, including athletics, cycling, swimming, rowing, and wheelchair basketball in Paralympic Games. Maik Car, a professor at the college, is sparing no effort to advance the innovation of sports technology.

Shoes, for the average person, can protect feet from outside harm, also let people can go farther road, and for athletes, as long as he is engaged in the project needs feet touch the ground, then a pair of suitable, and have the technical assistance of shoes is more important.

What the audience saw from the pair of golden boots of the sprinter Bolt was more a display of individuality and fashion, but for Bolt, the pair of complete Theseus type II sneakers, the mesh of the scale-shaped leather shoes, provided good breathability for his feet, With a scientifically designed insole and an external bow pad, the forefoot and heel provide Bolt with the support he needs to run, and the light weight reduces his physical exertion. In addition to his talent and hard training, this pair of top running shoes in his achievement of the "flying" the honor of the road, absolutely played an important role.

In an e-mail interview with the Chinese Science News reporter, the writer wrote, the sports industry is currently very concerned about the issue of equipment customization, this is not only to say that the athlete can choose the color or write the name on the shoes, but the soles of a piece of the floor flexibility and rigidity can be optimized, so that individual athletes bring the greatest strength. That's what they do with all their effort.

Articaine and his team have created "tuned" soles for individual athlete's shoes by measuring and studying the geometry and biomechanics of the feet of different athletes, thus correcting the deformity of the footwork or the ineffective soft tissue. These shoes are made using the most popular 3D printing technology and have applied for patents. Articaine believes these products will bring new achievements to athletes in the field.

"There are many things we can do in aerodynamics and fluid dynamics, and when our computing power reaches a new level, we can understand the nuances of small changes," Articaine said. ”

In the swimming pool, the cycling field, the F1 arena, these two kinds of mechanics research in the sports development most attracts the attention. Once excelled swimming pool of imitation shark skin of high-tech bathing suits constantly refresh the record of the Olympic venues; aerodynamic principles in the F1 arena can be played incisively and vividly, which makes the gap between the economic strength of the team in the field is also glance; bicycle track, tights, elastic fiber shoe cover, air helmet to reduce air resistance of 8%, With the ever-lighter body, there is a huge amount of scientific effort attached to every gold medal in the arena.

In addition to mechanics, High-tech materials are now the focus of competition in the arena. The carbon fiber material with excellent mechanical properties is almost used in all the sports equipment which can use it, racket, bicycle frame, high jump pole, bow and arrow, rowing ... Material changes have brought about significant improvement in sports performance, the pole vault is a great leap forward: when bamboo poles and metal poles replace wooden poles, the world record is immediately refreshed from 3.3 meters to 4.77 meters, while fiberglass rods and carbon fiber rods directly elevate the men's world record to 6.14 meters and the women's record to 5.06 metres.

However, many critics believe that High-tech applications have made many games no longer a personal technology competition, but more to become equipment and equipment, and those who simply improve the performance of the technology known as destructive technology. One of the international bicycles is prescient, as early as in 1996 promulgated the "Lugano Charter", limited the scope of bicycle design, but also failed to block the strong scientific research force. The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, a variety of scientific and technological forces seem to be at the same time, cycling competitions, swimming competitions, track and field records have been repeatedly broken, a country swept the project gold medals are also staggering. So after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Shark skin was banned by FINA, and the International Cycling Union specifically banned the use of aerodynamic design and accessories for the racing team. More and more like F1, which is also subject to the FIA's restrictions, has a full range of motor racing engines, chassis, suspension systems and tyres that allow the team to balance technology.

Articaine told the China Science Daily that most sports products have been developed and improved in response to the demands of the sports elite or professional athletes. At present, for a variety of sports items, equipment has been a very important position, after several centuries of development, innovation for sports to the highest level of development even play a decisive role. "But because of the strength of different countries, this gap is also increasing, which is one of the reasons why high technology is not popular in sports programs." ”

Articaine that as a sports management body, should have a forward-looking standard, in giving sports equipment a certain amount of innovation, but also to limit those who may affect the fair game of equipment. He said: "Everyone wants to see a game of the best athletes, but the high level of competition itself there are some inherent unfairness, this competition in the accumulation of advantages of the game itself more important." But it is legal to ask for an advantage, which is the essence of achieving the highest level. Sports can only be the most exciting and attractive when the results are unknown. ”

(Responsible editor: The good of the Legacy)