The future of sport

Swimsuit science

The human torpedoes at London 2012—the U.S.’s Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte—had a splash of technology on their swimsuits. That’s because Los Angles-based swimwear manufacturer and distributor Speedo joined hands with an Italian fabric maker and a research team from NASA to create swimsuits made of woven elastane-nylon and polyurethane. Essentially, it reduces the friction of the body with water and helps to get a better floating posture, leading to longer and faster strokes. Some call it technology doping; expect more ripples as the debate on regulating swimsuits and their fabric heats up.

Cricket’s new pitch

The cricket field just turned into a Big Boss set. TV viewers today have an even closer view through cameras fitted to the hats and goggles of both umpires and players, and the stump and player microphones ensure they hear every chat (or sledge) out in the middle. Watch out for spider cams which provide a 360° view of the field, traversing a rope around the stadium. While there have been the odd physics-redefining moments (with the ball hitting the cameras), the cameras make for amazing aerial footage. Another innovation in game alerts were the gimmicky stumps and bails used in Australia’s Big Bash Twenty20 league, which lit up when they were dislodged. Howzzat?

Nanotech’s tight grip

Steel and aluminium on sports gear are passé. To set records tumbling, all you now need is a coat of invisible carbon nano particles on your equipment. The technology is almost superheroic: stronger than stainless steel, harder than a diamond, and more expensive than gold. The long list includes baseball bats, golf clubs, hockey sticks, kayaks, snowboards, bicycle frames, and tennis racquets. Nano particles have not only made these equipment lighter but more durable and accurate. While it makes business sense for companies to improve their gear using carbon nano technology, the jury is still out on whether it is reducing the human factor in sports.

To infinity and beyond

Technologies developed for space travellers are making a big bang in sports. Miniature computers and sensors used to monitor heart rate, respiration, temperature, posture, and even sleeping patterns of astronauts, are now being deployed to train athletes and enhance their performance. Ingestible sensors or computers mounted on harnesses capture vital statistics and transmit the data wirelessly for analysis. Corrective measures are taken based on body temperature, heart rate, and other physiological data.

Take aim at the future

The gunpowder plot is over. The lightweight, titanium-barrelled guns will now have pre-charged natural gas capsules for firing pellets. They eliminate the temperature and pressure variations due to burning of oxygen and carbon, making the gun more stable and the shot more precise. A mechanical trigger (as in the Morini and Steyr pistols) will be replaced by an electronic one that gets activated by just a twitch of the finger. It will be controlled by an electronic chip which, in turn, is powered by two AAA batteries that are good for 15,000 shots.


Shifting gears

Formula 1 cars just got more connected. These days, there are at least 2,000 sensors embedded in them, transmitting details, including the health of the driver, the engine gear box, and tyre pressure. The real-time data is transmitted not just to the pit crew, but across the world to manufacturing plants to make changes in the next lineup of cars. Further, technology providers such as Tata Communications use global positioning system (GPS) and multiple sensors laid along the track, to calculate the distance between cars as well as record race timings down to the millisecond. The next lap: cars being remotely driven with minimal driver intervention?


The right armour

That sportspersons need to keep their cool was an old coaching adage—till Nike, Puma, Adidas, and Reebok got literal. The latest innovation in sportswear fabric is to make the apparel light and cool. The blue coloured packing, used in refrigerators to maintain low temperatures during a power outage, is being used in ‘precool’ vests to maintain optimal body temperatures for athletes and help them conserve energy. Nike has also used a fabric called Dri FIT in jerseys to improve air circulation. The fabric either soaks or dries sweat. It also makes the clothes lighter by almost a third. Watch out for the company’s Sphere technology that promises to keep you warm without the excess weight.

Running the rule

It’s been a while since sportswear giants kicked off the ‘running wars’. To enhance an athlete’s performance, rubber soles have made way for air and gel cushions, leather has been replaced by Kevlar, and sensors (or nodes) which are adaptable to all training surfaces have been introduced to offer stability. There’s Adidas’s Energy Boost running shoe that boasts small capsules fused together inside the sole to keep a consistent spring in a runner’s step through a long course; and Nike’s Flyknit technology behaves like a second skin, adapting to the shape of the foot in motion. If only Cinderella had been an athlete!