Those are some pretty cool examples of MEMS in action on the sports field. Given a segment (and hopefully a growing one) of the population's focus on fitness and competitive sports, seems like a natural application and one that can really give athletes far more control over their training regimens.
Yes, this is an interesting use of MEMS. I remember a few years ago, a company started up that captured the golf swings and baseball swings of stars and sold a system that tracked the user's swings against those of the stars. Cools application for MEMS. Not sure how successful that company was, but it was a clever idea.
Thanks @Rob for the comment. Yes, I think what makes MEMS in Sports different now is that it is enabling much more than a "gee whiz" type of application (as in "gee whiz, look at what I just did in the lab") to applications that are designed to better interface with users in their environments (not just in labs). It's again, another example of the importance of design is so critical to the adoption of MEMS.
I would also guess that as MEMS moves out of the lab and ends up in devices used by consumers, you would also see a much larger volume of production. Have you seen much larger volume in the production in the MEMS world in recent years?
On Fox Sports Science a few years ago, MEMS were used to measure the impact of two colliding Sumo wrestlers. They also used MEMS to study Jerry Rice's football catching techniques. See below.
@Charles - that is so cool and I love the fact that you wrote that story in 2007. Thanks for sending me the link. And what's exciting now is that it's not just major league athletes (and Sumo wrestlers) who can benefit from the intelligent sensing of MEMS - it's folks like you and me - who want to use MEMS technology to work out "smarter" and more effectively. I look forward to seeing more examples of MEMS in Sports as well as MEMS improving quality of life (through sport). And thank you again for the post!
Karen, I remember seeing that Freescale demo using the golf club.At the time, it was very Out-of-Box innovation, and still is.It reminds me of my R&D role at Motorola 10 years ago when many engineers were innovating with new emerging technologies and applying them as prototypes to every-day life applications (the origin of the "App" --- Marketing further coined the phrase, "Looking for the nextKiller App").
Various technologies are constantly maturing out of labs across the world, and the design engineering community is tasked with creating innovative uses for them in everyday life.Your list of MEMS applications falls into that category.So it's frustrating to me how mainstream advertising has brainwashed the public into thinking that "Apps" are only software downloads found on iPhones.
"Say you want to change the public's paradigm of what creative design engineering can do with MEMS .... There's an APP for that!"
When Benedetto Vigna developed ST's first MEMS based accelerometer it was meant as a component for the entertainment industry beause it was used in Nintendo. See the impact that product has made.
MEMS based accelerometers,. printhead of Ink jet Printers, MEMS based sensors and the latest is MEMS based barometers. Feynman was right, There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom...
During the past years supplying our MEMS enabled motion capture suit I and my colleagues at Xsens have seen some crazy innovative sports applications enabled by MEMS motions sensors. How about capturing full body 3D motion during actual skydiving, snowboarding and Kung-fu Jump Dragon performance for the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony! (http://www.xsens.com/en/entertainment/live-entertainment/2008-beijing-olympic-games) more videos of various application here: http://bit.ly/yETuvi and here http://bit.ly/AphLK7
I will discuss these applications and the tech behind in the upcoming Sensors in Design event. Hope to see some of you there!
You've certainly tapped into a vein where there's lots of interest, Karen, judging by the comments here. I'll use my comment to put in a plug for the MEMS Industry Group (MIG), of which you're Managing Director.
I'll also redux the call for people to come to the MEMS in Sports session at Design News's Sensors in Design conference, which is part of DESIGN West the last week of March in San Jose.
Thanks for the plug, @Alex. What I find the best part of MEMS in sports is that it's finally relevant to folks like us - and it'll help us battle old age, immobility and improve our health and quality of life. And if we look cool doing it (using MEMS of course), so much the better! I am looking forward to Sensors in Design on March 28-29 as well!
Not sure if you saw this announcement from InvenSense (the darling of the newly IPO'ed) - they are entering the MEMS in Sports arena with a design kit for "The First Wearable Sensor SDK For Health And Fitness Applications Incorporating MPU-9150 The World's First Integrated 9-Axis MotionTracking Device"
Another great use of MEMS in sports equipment is the Velocitip Ballistic System used in archery. The system is a 100 grain field point that fits on standard arrows that measures velocity. When plugged into a hand held docking station the arrow tip provides instantaneous information on kinetic energy, momentum, trajectory and the arrow's drag coefficient. The info can also be downloaded to a PC.
@Allyson - great addition! Yes I have heard of the Velocitip Ballistic System and I know that Analog Devices MEMS is in there too - very cool. I am sure that Olympic athletes are using them to train (archery?); but to hunters use them too? I am always curious about the market applications of these things... thanks again!
Karen - The system was originally designed to fit on arrows used primarily by hunters andIBO competitors. Full Flight Technology is working to develop a new tip that will fit on the narrower diameter Olympic style arrows. USA Archery is actively interested in those efforts, so we hope the design will help the team, if not in 2012 then shortly thereafter. We'll keep you posted on this.
Hunters use the system to determine if their combination of bow and arrow has sufficient momentum (some state fish and wildlife departments require a minimum momentum for large game hunting) and they also use the basic velocity, trajectory and arrow drag measurements to help improve their form. It's also good for comparing different bows and different arrows if you're in the market to buy new equipment, so pro shops like to be able to offer the use of the system to customers.
Karen - As it out Robert O'Reilly from Analog is giving his MEMS – One Size Doesn't Fit All talk again at SEMICON West http://semiconwest.org/node/6451 and Velocitip is mentioned in slide 16. Analog really like this application for their product.
@Allyson - great addition! Yes I have heard of the Velocitip Ballistic System and I know that Analog Devices MEMS is in there too - very cool. I am sure that Olympic athletes are using them to train (archery?); but to hunters use them too? I am always curious about the market applications of these things... thanks again!
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