36315 - Design and Development of Sports Equipment

Learning outcomes

Sport technology, is a relatively new field of the applied engineering sciences and has a deep impact on sport technique and performance. Of course, it is a technical field, with a strong commitment to innovation dictated by competition and markets. What make sport technology close to biotechnology is that ST has to deal with human factors. This makes sport gears design a complex field, which includes also psychological factors and even arts. From a bioengineering point of view, it is important to manage as a first base, mathematics. Without a knowledge of mathematics is impossible to sound design anything. As well imagination is necessary, but to deploy the full power of imagination is necessary a technique. Both side of human Ingenius are thus necessary. The constituents of sport technology are: 1) mathematics ; 2) electronics and electrical technology, 3) knowledge of materials and materials properties, 4) Manufacturing design and processing 5) Measurement principles 6) ergonomics and visualization 7) Finance, Law 8)

Computation 9) Computer sciences 10) Statistics 11) Kinesiology and Biomechanics 12) Anatomy and Physiology 13) Applied marketing 14) Market research 15) Politics. Robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning are also constituents of sport technology. As the systems for automatic game analysis for example, are becoming more and more sophisticated, several functions made actually by man, can be substitutes by machine, for example for match analysis. Robotics can help to simulate solicitations applied to sport gears in thousands of cycles, impossible to be performed by humans. AI and machine learning, on the basis of experience, improves algorithms for sport gears design, integrating physiological and even psychological characteristics of the athlete. An example is using of virtual reality (VR) for the testing of sport gears and for the study of product perception by the end users. Motion analysis has proven to give important advices in some sport gear design, and specifically in sport shoes testing. The shape of the products, is based on the aesthetics and on the proper culture of the sport, which differ country by country. Colours, materials and cut in the case of garments, are the choice of the designer. Colors, are connected with mood, with safety (in the case a garment can help visibility of the players during a game) and it is also connected with environmental questions, e.g. using colours that can be toxic for the environment or cause allergy. Materials are connected with fabric, performance of the fabric (e.g. permeability, hot/cold insulation etc.) yarn and fibre types. Research on materials are a very important part of the design process. The cut/fitting and proportion are also important components. The dimensions (huge, adherent garments), the cutting allowing movements and the details together with trim are considered. The proper culture of the specific sport for which the garments/shoes/gear is designed has a strong influence on the design process. Fashion, trends, peer pressure, historical contexts and corporate and team image, testimonials behaviours are deeply studied in the design process. Function is the study of the whole application field of sport gears. Protection, anthropometry and ergonomics are important. Contact or not contact sport, environmental issue, health and sense of safety of the end users must be considered. Anthropometry is fundamental. For example, Asian foot and Caucasian foot are different. Thus, the shape of the shoes can be uncomfortable, if not adapted to local anthropometry. Anthropometry and physical qualities such as flexibility and strength, determines the amplitude of movements, the predominant patterns of the sport, and the requirement in term of agility and speed of movement, that must be satisfied by the design. Heat retention (in cold environment) heat dissipation (in hot environment) sweat absorbance, and sun reflection for example, are important components of thermo-physiological regulation in sport gear design. Psychological aspects like the appearance, style perception and reliability of a gear, usability, are also important aspects. Last but not least, rules of the specific sport are dictated by governing sports bodies for the design of sport gears, and this process must consider the necessary identification of the athlete/team, the geographic location and local climate, season, and duration of the sport/game. Beside «normal» anthropometry, there was several speculations on how to make life better in designing «liveable» gears, able to improve the quality of life. The concept has been evoluted since its beginning, until the development of programs and tools allowing the calculation of anthropometric fitting or software to simulate how a clotch fit a person (e.g. FitMe software) . For example, the classical study of Dempster, based on the measurement of human cadaver’s specimen, aiming at describing the space requirements of a seated operator , his segments lengths and so on.

The Hanavan Model of 1964, split the human body in different solids, each one a proper center of mass and proper inertial characteristics, and estimated volumes, weights, and lengths. In design, these biomechanical measurements are taken into consideration. These studies were later replicated in biomechanics by Seiulianov and Zatsiorsky using computer tomography scan to determine body segments inertial parameters. These data, are referred to Caucasian men, and only recently norms for Asian has been developed, on Chinese men (Ho et al. 2013). Of course, anthropometry is the base for garment design. A large study was commissioned in the 70es by the association of fashion designers, to have a reference italian standard for clothes cutting. Of course, anthropometry is the base for garment design. A large study was commissioned in the 70es by the association of Italians fashion designers (EIM 1989), to have a reference Italian standard for clothes cutting. The 3 main normative organizations are the International Standard Organization (ISO) the Technischer Uberwachungs Verein (TUV) for Germany, and the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM). CE label is also mandatory all over Europe to commercialize sport’s goods.

References.

Dempster WT. Space requirements of the seated operator: geometrical, kinematic, and mechanical aspects of the body, with special reference to the limbs. WADC Technical Report, Carpenter Litho & Printing, Springfield, Ohaio, 1955.

EIM. Ente Italiano della Moda. Le misure antropometriche della popolazione italiana. L'abbigliamento delle classi giovani - dai 6 ai 19 anni. Franco Angeli, Milano, 1989.

Hanavan EP Jr. A mathematical model of the human body. AMRLTR, Ames Research Laboratory Technical Report, 1964 Oct:1-149.

Ho WH, Shiang TY, Lee CC, Cheng SY. Body segment parameters of young Chinese men determined with magnetic resonance imaging. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013 Sep;45(9):1759-66.

Shishoo R. Textiles in Sport. Woodhead Publishing Series in Textiles, 2005.

Zatsiorsky, V. & Seluyanov, V.N.. (1982). The mass and inertia characteristics of the main segment of human body. Biomechanics VIII: Proceedings of the eighth international congress of biomechanics. Human Kinetics Publishers Champaign Il. 4. ).

Course contents

1 introduction to industrial design.

2. Materials and performance in tennis and golf

3. Design and safety in mountain sport.

4. Psychology for design and safety

5. Running shoes design

6. Cycling and bikes.

7. Sport surfaces and injuries

8. Safety issues in sport : helmets and other gears.

9. Material technology and testing

10. Market analysis and marketing issue in the sport industry.

11. Sport facility design, technologies adn management: energetics, ecology and finance of mega sport events.

Readings/Bibliography

Textile in sports.

Running shoes and playing surfaces, Benno Nigg.

 

The Impact of Technology on Sport VI' 7th Asia-Pacific Congress on Sports Technology, APCST2015:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/procedia-engineering/vol/112/suppl/C

Teaching methods

Lectures, maybe some lab and expert visits.

Assessment methods

Colloquia

Teaching tools

Slides are available in IOL database

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Cicchella