Sports regulators must work with engineers to stop 'technology doping' in sport
09/07/2012 Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMECHE)
Report urges sport regulators to prepare for next wave of technological advancesAdvances in nanotechnology, '3D printing' and biomedical engineering are set to bring about a technological revolution in sport over the next few years, with UK sports engineers at its heart, according to a new report launched today by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
The Sports Engineering: An Unfair Advantage? report examines prosthetic limbs that can be controlled by the nervous system, spray-on clothing and personalised running shoes '3D printed' minutes before a race as advances that elite athletes could be using within a matter of years.
To prepare for these developments and counter accusations of 'technology doping', the report calls for sporting regulators to work with engineers to predict the consequences a new technology might have on a sport.
Philippa Oldham, lead report author and Head of Manufacturing at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said:
"Engineering has had an enormous, and under-appreciated, influence on sport over the past hundred years. Almost every sport, from athletics to cycling, has benefited from the introduction of new materials, techniques and tools that have helped keep them relevant and exciting.
"Over the next few years we are set to see a wave of new technology from the very cutting-edge of engineering enter sport. Yet many sporting regulators still refuse to engage with engineers to find out what effect these advances might have.
"It is vital for sports regulators to work with engineers to make sure these advances are introduced fairly and openly so the sporting world isn't taken by surprise."
As well as looking towards the future, the report examines UK sports engineering projects being run ahead of London 2012. With the help of organisations such as UK Sport, UK universities and engineering firms are working with TeamGB to support the athletes with cutting-edge technology.
These include:
* P2i, a world-leading nanotechnology firm headquartered in Oxfordshire, has developed a liquid repellent nano-coating technology that Olympic sailors will use to keep their harnesses dry this summer.
* McLaren Applied Technologies, using technology originally developed for Formula One, has developed an indoor tracking system that is being used to fine-tune wheelchair basketball training programmes.
* BAE Systems has adapted a laser-timing system, originally created for the battlefield, for use in cyclists' training. The system can time up to 30 cyclists simultaneously to within a millionth of a second.
For further information, please visit: www.imeche.org
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