Placed among mini golf holes and poster presentations, live demonstrations and activities representing the sports sciences will be on display at the Institute’s RECESS Symposium on October 24. Located in the Madren Center’s Grand Ballroom, the demonstrations will include:
Headgear Impact Performance: Greg Batt, Ph.D.
The Clemson Headgear Impact Performance (CHIP) Lab at Clemson tests the strength of sports helmet faceguards. According to Batt, these masks are made to protect players from many injuries but fail more often than one might think. Using a pneumatic canon, the impact on the helmet is recorded. Testing in the lab, done by students, hopes the data collected will one day make sports safer for everyone. The CHIP Lab will demo various equipment at RECESS like helmets, a head and neck form, a hammer and a computer that will be used to acquire acceleration response of the head. The team will be available to discuss more about the outcomes of their testing and answer questions.
Rowing Motion Capture: Anthony Marino and John DesJardins, Ph.D.
Collegiate rowing is the oldest intercollegiate sport in the United States, and has a prestigious historical tradition among American universities dating back to 1852 (Harvard Magazine). Unfortunately, the sport has long been considered a men’s-only sport it took over 100 years for women gain recognition. A collaboration between Clemson Bioengineering and the Clemson Women’s Rowing program has investigated questions specific to women’s rowing and enhanced the training, health and performance of our athletes. A 3D motion capture technology has been used at Clemson to test novel foot plates during rowing. At RECESS, participants will be able to interact with this system and learn more about the outcomes for rowers.
Virtual Reality Soccer: Felipe Tobar, Ph.D.
Tobar’s research initiative integrates virtual reality (VR) technology, electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring, and artificial intelligence (AI) to understand the experiences of Olympic and Paralympic soccer athletes using VR simulators for training purposes. The long-term goals of this project are to develop more effective VR soccer training experiences that enable skill transfer to improve on-field player performance for competitive athletes, and develop more inclusive VR soccer experiences, both as training tools and for recreation, for persons with disabilities. Participants at RECESS will enter a simulation to experience real soccer gameplay by making quick decisions on the field and passing forward. Challenge yourself and enjoy a cutting-edge, sports-based VR technology that merges fun with athletic training.
Exoskeleton Demonstration: Jessica Avilés, Ph.D.
Exoskeletons are devices worn outside the body to assist with movement. They come in a wide variety for the upper and lower body, some powered by batteries and motors, some by hydraulics and some by springs. Avilés’ research aims to help people with spinal cord injuries find the best exoskeletons and training plans so they can participate in sports. Her goal is to turn exoskeleton racing into a Paralympic and collegiate adaptive sport.
Open Cap Makerless Motion Capture for Hamstrings: Reed Gurchiek, Ph.D.
Gurchiek’s makerless motion capture technology, Open Cap, measures an athlete’s hamstring pain. He has developed a wearable device that uses a passive elastic band to assist the hamstring muscles during running. This device is designed to rehabilitate hamstring strain injuries more effectively than is currently possible, addressing a growing and widespread problem as hamstring strains are currently the most prevalent time-loss injury in field-based sports. Currently being tested, the device should reduce hamstring muscle activity without altering running motion. Get familiar with this technology when you attend RECESS.
The Physics of Breakdancing: Amy Pope, Ph.D.
The conservation of angular momentum can be demonstrated using a rotating stool and weights. When a person sits on a frictionless rotating stool with arms extended while holding weights, they start spinning at a certain speed. As they pull the weights inward, their moment of inertia decreases and to conserve angular momentum, their rotational speed increases. This demonstrates how angular velocity adjusts to changes in the moment of inertia when no external torques act on the system, similar to how breakdancers, divers or skaters spin faster by pulling in their limbs. Give it a go at RECESS!
A Demonstration of Force Measurement using Force Plates and Accelerometer: Adam Schiferl, Clemson student
This demonstration presents an interactive approach to understanding introductory kinematics and mechanics by leveraging sports to make physics concepts more relatable. Participants will kick a soccer ball in a controlled way and get force readings. Analysis of this data will explain the force vs. time graph stage by stage illustrating how forces acting on an athlete vary during different phases of exercise.
“Tiger 24,” A Student-Designed Formula One Race Car: Clemson Formula SAE team
The Clemson University Formula SAE (CUFSAE) team is a student-run organization dedicated to designing, manufacturing and competing with a formula-style race car. They aim to provide students with the tools to learn relevant skills while exploring the possibilities of employment in the automotive industry. This year’s student-designed Formula One race car, the Tiger 24, which has been competing in student competitions across the nation, will be on display and the team will be available to answer questions.
To view all these amazing live demonstrations at RECESS, RSVP here.
