Tech Innovation for Competitive Sports

Technological Innovation for the Benefit of Competitive Sports

The First Scientific Conference of the Israeli Olympics Sports Research Center – aimed at using scientific knowledge to improve sports performance – was held recently at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and was attended by leading researchers and scientists, as well as senior coaches from Israel and members of the sports-tech industry, along with guest lecturers from the USA and England.

The conference was held at Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering on Wednesday, May 15, as part of the Annual Belfer Symposium and a new cooperation venture between Technion and the Olympic Committee of Israel.  

The research center which encourages applied research for advancing Olympic Sport in Israel is headed by Prof. Alon Wolf of Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and directed by exercise physiologist Muli Epstein, Scientific Director of the Olympic Committee in Israel,  and its Elite Sports Unit.

Among the scientific and technological challenges in the field of athletic achievement that were discussed was the challenge of breaking the two-hour barrier in marathon races. Running a marathon in less than two hours is not only a physiological challenge, and new developments in the field of footwear and nutrition may soon provide the answer. Experts agree that it is possible to beat the record, and many believe that Kenyan Olympic runner Eliud Kipchoge may achieve the new record in the near future.

Prof. Yannis Pitsiladis, an expert in sports and exercise science at England’s Brighton University and a world expert on the genetic and environmental effects of athletic performance, spoke about the enormous challenge of breaking the two-hour barrier in a marathon run. He stated that this is possible as, “The borders are not fixed, and by investing time and energy, they can be extended.” However, he added that this goal requires cooperation among researchers in various fields, including nutritionists, biomechanics and data scientists. “We need to develop  tools with which to inject carbohydrates into the runner’s body effectively, and to provide him/her with intelligent sensing systems that monitor physiological variables and provide feedback on his/her condition in real time.”

Dr. Alison Sheets, Senior Biomechanics Researcher at Nike, whose research focuses on the biomechanical mechanisms that limit the performance of athletes through experimental and computational approaches. Her lecture addressed the contribution of equipment innovation in improving athletes’ sports performance.

“Why can’t I run faster, why can’t I jump higher? These questions keep me awake,” said Nike’s Dr. Sheets, who seeks to improve the athletic performance of the super athlete. Established in 1980, Nike’s Biomechanics Laboratory’s goal is to develop ways to overcome existing limitations and enable athletes to improve their achievements while reducing injuries.

“Since the 1980s, tremendous scientific developments have taken place, including the power of computing, data science and 3D printing, which give us new tools to combat  sporting challenges,” Dr. Sheets added.

Prof. Wolf said that the research center was designed to promote Israeli sports on three levels – the physiology of the individual athlete, the technology of the equipment and the interaction between the two. During the conference, Prof. Wolf and Muli Epstein presented a fascinating talk about the history of scientific research in Olympic Sports and the current challenges in the field.

“We recently inaugurated the Israeli Center for Olympic Sports Research – a joint cooperation between the Olympic Committee and  Technion, which is a leading body in science and technology,” said Gili Lustig, CEO of the Olympic Committee of Israel. “I have no doubt that together, we can improve the training patterns and physiological tracking of our athletes and thus lead them to new heights.”

Yael Arad, Israel’s first athlete to win an Olympic silver medal and Board Member of the Olympic Committee of Israel and Chairman of the Sports Committee, said that, “The cooperation with Technion is at one with the quantum leap in the goals that we have set for ourselves. If we have so far aimed at returning from any Olympics with one or two medals, now we want to achieve more. Not only to be good but to be the best. And for that we have to focus on things that we are not good at, and to improve and bring measurable results, and in short – more medals. It is a long-term process whose benefits will be seen only at the 2024 Olympics and perhaps even later. But it will happen if we will be patient, determined and consistent.”

Dr. Maya Benzoor-Cale, Director of the Department of Physical Therapy at the Center for Sports Medicine and Research at Israel’s Wingate Institute, focuses her research on movement in rehabilitation and sports, and especially on how science fits into the clinical treatment of Olympic athletes.

Prof. Anath Fischer, of Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, spoke about a bionic hand (a 3D printed hand) simulation using artificial intelligence (AI).

Following the conference, four Israeli Olympic trainers presented challenges from their respective fields to researchers at the new center. Niv Libner, coach of Israel’s women’s cycling team, sought to develop tools to improve training and decision-making in training and races. Rogel Nahum, who represented Israel three times in triple jumps in the Olympic Games, said that these areas are desperate for tools to improve the accuracy of running and hitting the jumping board. Sailing coach Gur Steinberg sought to develop precise methods for measuring distances and learning how world-champion sailors succeed. Claudia Laciga, coach of the Israel Beach-Volleyball Team, said the players needed tools that would improve their ability to read the opponent and his intentions.”

Following the conference there was a visit to the research laboratories of the Israeli Center for Olympic Sports Research on campus.