My name is Nick Hamilton, and for over two decades, I’ve operated at the intersection of mechanical engineering and sports innovation. As a Principal Research Fellow in Sheffield Hallam University’s Sports Engineering Research Group (SERG), I’ve spent my career optimising equipment for elite athletes, designing everything from carbon fibre bikes to injury-preventing wrist guards. But […]
Human Factors in Sports Engineering
Human factors, otherwise referred to as ergonomics, is a design approach exploring how we as humans interact with the systems, products, and environments around us to enhance performance, safety and comfort. The application of human factors ensures that systems, products and services are designed to make them easier, safer and more effective for people to […]
My journey from student to course leader in MSc Sports Engineering.
MSc Sports Engineering 2016-17 In September 2016 I enrolled at Sheffield Hallam University to begin my studies on the MSc Sports Engineering course. This was the eighth year that the course had run, with me and 18 fellow students from around the world descending on Sheffield to embark on our journey into the world of […]
The use of more advanced body measurements: Translating research from elite sport to health.
For centuries, people have been fascinated with the human body and measuring its dimensions, believing that an individual’s physical health and performance is closely linked to their body size and shape. In the early days, physicians such as Hippocrates (460-370 B.C.) used subjective descriptions of a person’s physical build to predict their risk of developing […]
Pushing the design envelope: The testing and development of sports protective equipment
To improve product performance the Sports Engineering Research Group (SERG) at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) work to better understand sports equipment and its interaction with users as well as the environment. We research whether something is possible and develop engineering solutions to fulfil product needs using fundamental physics, experimental methods and modelling techniques. We utilise user-centred design to push the […]
How are super shoes engineered?
Nike. com Our previous article, makes a persuasive case for the performance benefits of super-shoes; in this article we’ll look at the engineering innovations behind them. Super-shoes typically have the following characteristics: We will look at each of these features in turn. The requirements of foam midsoles: As horizontal velocity is quite constant, we can […]
Innovation unleashed: The application of 3D surface body scanner expertise to art & theatre
Three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging (also known as 3D body, optical or photonic scanning) creates digital 3D images of the external geometry of the human body, which when stitched together creates a digital -to scale – representation, herein referred to as a digital model (also known as a humanoid, avatar, or twin). Within the Sports Engineering […]
Pursuing a career in Sports Engineering: enhancing athlete safety
Reflecting on my year studying MSc Sports Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, I can say with certainty that my experience within the Sports Engineering Research Group has been pivotal in my academic journey. Growing up, I had two main interests: science and sailing. My fascination with safety in sports began aged 10 – you never […]
How fast could Usain Bolt run in a super shoe?
Image: CC Fernando Frazão (Agência Brasil) Usain Bolt set world records of 9.58s and 19.19s in the 100m and 200m at the 2009 world championships in Berlin. Those records have stood for well over a decade and don’t look to be imminently under threat. That is despite the innovations in running shoes, originally focussed on […]
Hamstrung no more: A research journey into hamstring injuries
Hamstring strains are still one of the most prevalent injuries in sports despite extensive research spanning decades into risk factors, causation, mechanism, and training protocols. The ‘quest’ for injury-free players and optimal performance levels continues to be the holy grail for many researchers. In this article, I invite you on a reflective journey through my […]
Engineering Sport 