Olympic Edge: Optimizing Athletic Equipment
When tuning in to the Olympics in Rio this summer, you may find yourself asking questions like us: How much force does it take to fully compress a gymnastics springboard? Or, more generally, what goes into the development of the heavily relied upon equipment and tools that help these athletes achieve their greatest? Using biomechanics to apply mechanical principles to the human body in motion, engineers are able to develop materials and finished goods that can improve athlete performance while preventing injury.
Our biomedical market manager, Elayne Gordonov, recently had an article published in AM&P magazine about how mechanical testing has been used to optimize performance of materials in the athletic market. The article also looks into how testing biomaterials leads to improved recovery outcomes for injuries.
This article discusses the testing of athletic footwear, helmets, and biomaterials, including the need to compare synthetic materials to native tissues.
To learn more, take a look at the article.
Originally posted on August 17, 2016 , Updated On March 23, 2021