The Hardware Dubbed ‘the fastest selling electronic product in history’, Microsoft’s Kinect has clearly captured the attention of the gamer. The market was fundamentally changed by Nintendo and the Wii, the Kinect is Microsoft’s attempt at a user-friendly, demographic spanning input device. While the Wii takes signals from a hand-held ‘Wii-Mote’, the Kinect does away with controllers […]
The loneliness of the long distance physicist
What do physicists think about when they’re running? I’m currently training for my first marathon (gulp) which gives me a lot of time to think. Running around Sheffield, most of the time I think about how unfair it is that there is another hill and wonder why it is that the wind is always against […]
Using sport to teach science: interactive exhibits, Teachers TV and maths in sport
We have known for quite some time here at Sheffield Hallam University the value of using sport to teach science. Sport is ideal for grabbing people’s attention and getting them interested in science, engineering and technology. We often do public lectures which are always packed out by people interested in sport who also want to know more about […]
What does a 2-hour marathon look like?
The two hour marathon is a hot topic, following on from a BBC radio four documentary which asked whether it would ever be achieved, I thought I’d shoot a quick video to illustrate the speed necessary to complete a marathon in 2 hours. Previously we’ve covered the subject ourselves in one of Leon Foster’s posts, […]
Wonders of the Cricket Pitch
Fans of cricket rejoice, Dr James (who studied the dynamics of cricket pitches for his PhD) has recorded a lecture on the various issues of engineering and cricket for all to enjoy. Dr James is our resident ‘Public Engagement Tsar’ having presented to a countless number of dignitaries at prestigious societies and institutions and numerous science […]
Wimbledon in 3D!
Sony and the All England Lawn Tennis Club have signed a deal to allow TV viewers to watch Wimbledon in 3D. Along with their partners SuperVision Media, Sony will use their special filming techniques to capture and broadcast live in 3D.
Blue Peter World Record!
A couple of weeks ago I discussed the new Ski-Jump world record set in Norway, this time I’m reporting on another record set on UK soil (or a plastic ski slope to be more specific). The record I am referring to is the highest jump from a quarter pipe on a dry ski slope. On a wet […]
The heat is on for cyclists in the London velodrome
The velodrome which will host the track cycling events at the 2012 Olympics in London is now open. The facility is the first to open in the Olympic village and has been given the title of the ‘best in the World’. When a country hosts a major sports event, such as the Olympics, they want to […]
Ski Jump world record falls
Although not an avid follower of winter sports, I noticed that the world record for the ski-jump was broken on the 11th of February. Johan Remen Evensen of Norway jumped 246.5 m at the Nordic Vikersundbakken ski jumping hill. The video below shows the jump itself.
Balls behaving badly
It may seem like I have balls on the brain if my last couple of posts are any indication. Balls are such a big part of sport and Sports Engineers are fascinated by the way they behave as they bounce on the ground and fly through the air. I’ve seen two amazing videos recently which exhibit […]
Engineering Sport 