The Sports Engineering Research Group (SERG) at Sheffield Hallam University, like everyone with an interest in Sports Engineering, love to keep an eye on new technologies and upcoming trends in the field. In this blog article, based around the primary themes of the group, let’s take explore upcoming technologies that will shape the landscape of sports engineering in the coming year.

Design Engineering:

In SERG we have a strong history of high quality research into sports balls; from tennis balls to footballs, how they fly, how the air moves around them, the design of them, and how they impact; and how we can harness such research for educational purposes – you name it we have looked at it. This coming year we will be keeping our eye on instrumented balls; balls that have been equipped with various sensors to collect data during competitive matches, physical activities or experiments. These sensors can record position, temperature and other relevant parameters. We wrote a blog in this field earlier in the year, and have noticed an exciting research space evolving in this area; from medicine balls to AFL balls.

Biomechanics:

Biomechanics in sports engineering analyses the mechanics of human movement, applying physics and engineering principles to enhance athletic performance, prevent injuries, and optimise sports equipment design. In SERG we have several researcher specialising, or with a background in, Biomechanics; from the evaluation of single movements to the whole body, in an array of fields from Boxing to Running. This coming year however, we will be keeping our eye on marker less tracking systems. Having published in this field ourselves in gait analysis, it is exciting to see the work of THEIA and OpenCap. We will be particularly keen to see how these technologies move to wards consumer devices.

Applied Computing:

Applied computing in Sports Engineering involves using computational tools and technologies to analyse data, model performance, and develop innovative solutions for improving athletic training and sports-related applications. In SERG we harness the expertise of our researchers to solve real world challenges for our research partners – clearly presented within this years SERG annual review. One of the obvious upcoming fields is Artificial Intelligence (AI), as discussed in one of our recent blogs. We anticipate AI to be incorporated into wearables providing capabilities that not only monitor biometrics but also analyse data in real-time, to provide personalised insights, suggesting adjustments in training routines, providing instant performance feedback, and even predicting potential injury risks. However, have you heard of ‘quantum computing‘? Quantum computing uses the principles of quantum mechanics to perform parallel processing, allowing complex tasks to be processed exponentially faster – at speeds previously unimaginable. This quantum leap in analytics will unravel new insights into player performance, game strategies, and tactical nuances, empowering teams with unprecedented knowledge to gain a competitive edge.

Morphology:

Morphology refers to the study of the form and structure of athletes, and using this information to influencing design for optimal performance and training. In 2024, application based 3D body scanning through mobile apps is poised to emerge as a transformative technological trend. For a long time external imaging of the human form has been restricted to research labs, however the inclusion of depth cameras within mobile and tablet devices and the popularity of these devices, has made this technology commercially available. To date, the accuracy and repeatability of these technologies have been poor, and are unsuitable for those unable to stand or maintain an A-frame pose. However, the boom of AI provides an opportunity to provides an opportunity to address the limitations of this technology – broadening the suitability of this technology across all disciplines and applications. We should still be cautious about body composition estimation from these systems, as these will always remain an estimation of which is reliant upon the equality diversity and inclusivity of the anthropometric databases from which these estimations are based – but it will be a great step in the right direction.

We hope you have enjoyed our exploration of upcoming technologies that will shape the landscape of Sports Engineering in the coming year. For more information about SERG check out our website, our annual review or our MSc Sports Engineering course.