Author: iradclif

Exhibition Open at Imperial College Main Entrance

Today is the first day of 3 day exhibition showcasing the work of this years Innovation Design Engineering (IDE) and Global Innovation Design (GID) students. As part of the Rio Tinto Sports Innovation Challenge the students undertake an intensive project development, having only 6 weeks to research, propose and produce a concept and prototype based around a key theme.

The Brief for this years challenge was to create an innovative product or sport associated with the Winter Paralympic Games and within one of four themes:

  • Sport Engagement
  • Extreme Sport
  • Sports Protection
  • Future Sport

There are 13 projects in total including among others:

  • a flexible support system for the spine which immobilises the back after sever injury
  • a suit that enables the user to slide on snow
  • a concept sport where the participants row on ice
  • a system to enable hemiplegic athletes to partake in speed skating
  • a prosthetic limb for below knee amputee ski jumpers

The exhibition will run this week until Friday 14th February in the Main Entrance of Imperial College on Exhibition Road South Kensington.

The exhibition in the Main Entrance of Imperial College
The exhibition in the Main Entrance of Imperial College
Spine: flexible support for the spine which immobilises the back after severe injury
Spine: flexible support for the spine which immobilises the back after severe injury
SKIn: a suit that enables a close to the ground, exciting and natural way of sliding on snow
SKIn: a suit that enables a close to the ground, exciting and natural way of sliding on snow
Aurae: a system enabling curling for competitors with neurodegeneration
Aurae: a system enabling curling for competitors with neurodegeneration
Gnar: an outrigger that gives back independence to mono-skiers
Gnar: an outrigger that gives back independence to mono-skiers
Theia: transforming movements into sonic and tactile experiences for visually impaired spectators
Theia: transforming movements into sonic and tactile experiences for visually impaired spectators

 

Technological Innovation at the Winter Olympics

A bit of fun for Friday, here’s a nice little animation, as part of the Science of Sochi series on the BBC Sport website, explaining the role technological innovations play in the Winter Olympics.

There are also animations on the body’s performance at extreme conditions, and the development of ski designs for different events.

Team GB Snowboarders Jenny Jones and Aimee Fuller are into the Semi-Finals of the Slopestyle event having just missed out on qualifying for the Finals directly.

Coverage of the opening ceremony begins at 3pm.

 

Action commences in Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics

While we are bracing ourselves for another onslaught of wind and rain, Team GB’s Winter Olympic hopefuls in the sub-tropical climate of Sochi are gearing up for action as the first events have begun today.

First news from Sochi is that GB’s Jamie Nicholls has qualified for the Slopestyle (snowboarding) finals on Saturday and his team mate Billy Morgan has a second chance to make the finals through the semi-finals on Saturday.

Keeping the winter sports theme, check out this great cartoon from George Washington University. It’s a really nice way of demonstrating the great work that goes on within the Bioengineering Sector and trying to attract the next generation of young Bioengineers.

Finally, there was an interesting story on the BBC regarding the development sensor technology, within a bionic hand, to enable the user to be feel the form, stiffness and texture of an object as they grab it. This work forms part of a whole body of interesting research into the use of electrical stimulus to provide both feedback and control over prosthetic limbs.

RTSIC Case Study

If the article above has caught your interest then check out this RTSIC 2nd Year Bioengineering project from 2011/12, which utilised Electromyography  to enable gear changing on a bicycle for cyclists with upper limb prostheses.

 

GB Paralympic Sailors waiting patiently for the wind in Miami

The 3rd round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup are underway in Miami and there are high hopes for the British Adaptive Sailors if the wind finally picks up to enable them to race. There are three disabled categories in the Sailing World Cup, 2.4mR, SKUD 18 and SONAR.

Racing for GB in the 2.4mR category are Megan Pascoe (currently ranked number 1 in the world) and Helena Lucas MBE (the 1st British Sailor ever to win Paralympic Gold). In the SKUD 18 category is the pairing of Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell (Bronze medal winners at London 2012 and winners of 4 World Championship titles). The 3 person team of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Stephen Thomas will race in the SONAR category.

Racing is scheduled to run until Saturday 1st February and we wish the best of luck to all 39 British Sailors competing both in the Disabled and Able Bodied categories.

Sailing for disabled people has been increasing in popularity since the mid-80’s. Competition is open to all physical impairment groups and athletes with visual impairments, the classification system is a based on points given for levels of functionality (see the British Paralympic Assocaition website for more details).

RTSIC Case Study

In 2011/12 a 2nd year Bioengineering Group Project focused on developing a navigational aid to enable visually impaired athletes to sail in single-person keel boat classes such as the 2.4mR . The team developed a Bluetooth based communication system along with a haptic feedback harness for the sailor and an interface app for use by coaches to act as remote guides to provide navigational information. Check out their project poster here.