In science, speed is just distance divided by time. But in sports, where fractions of a second can determine champions, speed is everything. That’s why many athletes look to engineering for a high-tech edge that can maximize velocity and performance.
Take Nike’s new track and field uniforms — released just in time for the summer Olympics.
When snow melts in the Alps, European ski and snowboard fanatics may soon be heading to Skipark 360, 45 minutes from Stockholm, a year-round indoor winter sports arena with everything from downhill skiing to ice hockey and international slalom competitions.
Qatar, a small Middle Eastern country that has been designated host of the 2022 World Cup, is not known for its mild summers. In fact, temperatures in July regularly average over 115 degrees F (50 degrees C), which presents a serious challenge to the event’s organizers.
But not to fear – engineers from Qatar University’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering have a clever solution. Over the next ten years they plan to develop an artificial cloud that will hover over the soccer stadium and provide crucial shade to players and audience members.
Last year we reported on the sustainability efforts of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, which made the games the greenest yet. Vancouver was outfitted with solar panels, green roofs, and mechanisms to collect and recycle rainwater. Award medals were made from re-purposed electronic waste.
Now, Rio de Janeiro is aiming to create the first games with a zero-carbon footprint when it hosts the Summer Olympics in 2016.
To help the city achieve this goal, Swiss-based RAFAA Architecture and Design has proposed a Solar City Tower, which features a visually stunning energy-generating waterfall.
For the past week, prospective NFL athletes have been competing in the NFL Combine – an exhibition that tests players’ physical and mental abilities. Not only have NFL prospects been working hard to impress coaches with their strength, speed, and intensity, some also have been the first to wear the new biometric Under Armour E39 shirt.
The E39 may look like a typical Under Armour compression shirt, but it is equipped with electronic sensors that monitor heart rate and breathing as well as a triaxial accelerometer to gauge swiftness.