Bicycle Roller Chain Efficiency Degradation

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)</p

Apparatus and Methodology for Smart Trainer Homologation Analysis

Virtual cycling engagement has seen a significant increase in the last decade, with a recognizable surge in 2020 due to the pandemic. To ensure a fair competition field, a testing apparatus was designed to test direct-drive bicycle smart trainers from various manufacturers. Smart trainers were tested for error on two main metrics: power measurement error and resistance error. Given that the integrity of virtual racing relies upon accurate power readings sent from the smart trainer to a cloud based competition software, discrepancies in these metrics are most likely to affect the outcome of an event. The testing apparatus used a motor in place of a human rider to control the repeatability and capability of the testing system. Power measurement consisting of a torque and rotational velocity sensor were connected to the motor output to determine the precise power delivered into a smart trainer. The known input power was compared to the power reported by the smart trainer as transmitted over the ANT+ wireless protocol and compared across the testing metrics. An electromagnetic brake system was incorporated to characterize the transmission losses from the motor to the smart trainer, enabling the accurate determination of the actual power input into the smart trainers. The testing procedure covered each virtual gradient ranging from -8% to 15% at every power level between 100 and 800 watts. The power reading error of smart trainers ranged from ≈0% to \u3e16 %, and the resistance error ranged from \u3c1% to over 100 %. These large errors show how critical homologation of smart trainers is for fair competition

Development of stabilizing shoe inserts and testing apparatus to mitigate ankle injury in sports

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024) The ongoing effort to protect athletes in jumping sports centers around the ability to protect the ankle from injury. Ankle injuries are the most frequent injury to basketball and volleyball players, accounting for 58% and 63 % of all injuries respectively. From earlier NCAA studies, it was reported that 77.1 % of ankle sprain injuries are to the lateral ligament complex, which indicates a low ankle sprain. Multiple ankle sprain prevention methods already exist to resist the ankle sprain mechanism such as ankle braces. The weakest and primarily injured ligament of this complex is the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL). An ankle sprain is induced by the rapid supination of the foot, with a 60-degree angle of supination being sufficient to injure the ATFL and the major component in injuring the ankle. Also, applying a stiff counterforce to the ankle will redirect the force induced to the leg in an ankle sprain up to the knee or hip, resulting in a more serious injury. Therefore, footwear that provides strength with force absorption to the ATFL and disallows a 60- degree angle of supination is ideal in preventing injury to the ATFL. This paper will discuss the fabrication of a tailored prototype that resists ankle supination and a method for prototype validation. </p