Faster, higher, stronger is the inspiring motto of the Olympic Games, some inspiring words that encourage us to overcome our achievements and limitations. The technology comes into play in sport as in any other area of our lives, from different perspectives and in different fields, but always with the aim of helping us improve.
Paralympics progress
One of the fields where it is easier to see how technology is a breakthrough is in the Paralympics. Year after year, it can be seen how athletes make use of increasingly sophisticated prosthetics thanks to advances in engineering and science, because dreams do not have barriers.
The road was not easy. For many years, his artificial legs were controversial, to the point of being considered an advantage over the other runners. Obviously, no sufficient grounds were found Basketball.
Another of the most popular sports of the Olympic Games is basketball. In the case of paralympic basketball wheelchairs are specifically designed to give the best answer to the players during games
The British Paralympic basketball team debuted in the Olympics of 2012 chairs created from scratch. For over ten years, the base model was the same, but this time made clean slate to innovate right from the design process.
The new chairs were developed by the University of Loughborough, BMW and RGK, experts producers wheelchairs for sports. One of the materials used for the structure was aluminum instead of titanium, creating much more shock resistant and up to two kilos lighter chairs. Improvements were noted in both the speed they could reach and maneuverability.
custom equipment
One of the most important aspects in the development of technology for Paralympians is customization of products. In the case of chairs for basketball, it is in the seat where lies the key. For the creation of wheelchairs British Paralympic team forms and movements of each player and currently collected the information necessary to construct a single perfect hand seats were scanned. In this case, it all depends on the conditions of each player: a spinal cord injury does not have the same needs as a leg amputated.
The development of new materials and optimization for use in Paralympics is paramount, but the custom design and tried to detail is key, and demonstrates the maturity of research in this field. Interviews with athletes, who gave feedback to developers chairs, shed light on many details.
Other sports, other technologies
The list is endless. Swimming has known many improvements in their swimsuits (some developed in conjunction with NASA!) And technologies to determine the position of the bodies in space have helped sports like tennis has improved the effectiveness of arbitration.
Hawk's eye is probably his best-known version. Thanks to a series of video cameras arranged in the field, it is possible to know if the ball fell to one side or another of the line and, therefore, if scored or not. Football, with its ghosts goals, so many disappointments and joys give fans could also benefit from these advances someday.
Beyond the sport
Although it seems that the technology applied to athletes only affects a small percentage of athletes and, therefore, a very small world population part, the fact is that advances in this field go beyond competition elite.
Sport is able to attract the attention of millions of people, which ultimately ends up affecting a greater interest in science and technology. Artificial legs Paralympians make us wonder how it works or how it develops something.
But perhaps most important it is that advances in the field Paralympics end up having their application in broader areas of medicine. Technological developments in prosthetics and wheelchairs in the Olympics end up serving for all models away from top-level sport. Technological improvements, even in the most unexpected areas, just to serve us all.
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