Polytechnique insights A REVIEW BY INSTITUT POLYTECHNIQUE DE PARIS
Polytechnique insights A REVIEW BY INSTITUT POLYTECHNIQUE DE PARIS
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Olympics 2024: physicists are improving competitors' abilities

4 episodes
  • 1
    Paralympics: how to optimise jumping blades for long-jumper amputees
  • 2
    How to help swimmers win their races 
  • 3
    Using virtual reality to boost skills in Olympic boxers
  • 4
    “Sport brings as much to science as science brings to sport”
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Épisode 1/4

Paralympics: how to optimise jumping blades for long-jumper amputees
On January 3rd, 2023
4 min reading time
Fabien Szmytka
Fabien Szmytka
Researcher at ENSTA Paris (IP Paris)
Jean François Semblat
Jean-François Semblat
Professor at at ENSTA Paris, Head of mechanics and energy department at IP Paris
Elodie Doyen
Élodie Doyen
research engineer at ENSTA Paris (IP Paris)

Key takeaways

  • In the context of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, studies are being conducted to improve the performance of tibial prostheses.
  • The Paralympic athletes concerned use spring-like jumping blades to replace the amputated limb.
  • The main challenge is to convert the athlete's kinetic energy into “momentum”, in order to jump as far as possible.
  • In addition to improving performance, the aim is also to improve the comfort of athletes by avoiding skin-prosthesis friction as much as possible.
  • The study of static and dynamic forces is put to use for the benefit of the human being, in order to advance the “augmented human”.
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Épisode 2/4

How to help swimmers win their races 
On January 3rd, 2023
5 min reading time
CARMIGNIANI Rémi
Rémi Carmigniani
Researcher at École des Ponts ParisTech at Laboratoire d'Hydraulique Saint-Venant

Key takeaways

  • Rémi Carmigniani and his team are studying the physics of swimming and the speed-cadence relationship of swimmers.
  • The objective: to understand the evolution of speed as a function of cadence and to relate it to the power delivered to the arms to move forward.
  • Accelerometers, force sensors and cameras are used to follow the swimmers underwater.
  • One of the main topics is the study of the swimmer’s start, and optimisation of the trajectory.
  • The ultimate goal is to help swimmers optimise their trajectory in the first 15 metres at the start and at the turns.
Épisode 3/4

Using virtual reality to boost skills in Olympic boxers
On October 4th, 2022
3 min reading time
Franck MULTON
Franck Multon
Inria Research Director at Université de Rennes

Key takeaways

  • The REVEA project aims to use virtual reality (VR) for sports training.
  • With the 2024 Olympics fast approaching, this project will help athletes improve certain “sub-skills” such as speed and motor coordination.
  • To overcome the limitations of a real training session, a VR simulator has been developed based on measurements of athletes' movements in 3D.
  • The project is part of a more general sports programme in which physical, mental, and technical preparation complement the VR sessions.
  • The system is constantly being improved through feedback from coaches and athletes, but also by applying new AI research.
Man Wearing Brainwave Scanning Headset Sits in a Chair while Scientist with Tablet Computer Supervises Process. In the Modern Brain Study Laboratory Monitors Show EEG Reading and Brain Model.
Épisode 4/4

“Sport brings as much to science as science brings to sport”
On April 30th, 2024
5 min reading time
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Vincent Nougier
Professor at Grenoble Alpes University and former Head of the CNRS Sport & Activité Physique research group

Key takeaways

  • Paradoxically, while performance in sport is constantly improving, physical activity worldwide is steadily declining.
  • Scientific studies on sport have a number of aims: optimising performance, identifying the health benefits of sport and understanding the physical characteristics of the earth.
  • Increasing physical activity worldwide is a major current challenge, since physical activity is essential for good health.
  • In some sports, optimisation can have such a significant impact that the rules need to evolve.
  • Optimising performance takes place at several levels: improving training, equipment and mental preparation.
  • The knowledge gained from studying sport is then applied to other sectors, such as space exploration and physiotherapy.

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