This year's Winter Olympics will feature a variety of technological innovations in sports equipment and sportswear, which will be tested in Sochi, Russia. Almost every winter sport includes some kind of technical innovation, but there are three particularly interesting innovations that will make their debut at the 2014 Olympic Games.

1. To create streamlined suits for alpine skiers, speed skaters, ski jumpers, figure skaters and bobsledders, special high-speed shooting was used. For example, in the film industry, actors were equipped with special sensors that tracked their bodies at hundreds of frames per second. The information that was collected was put into a computer, where human movements were used to animate an artificial body (mannequin), like the princess in the movie Avatar. This method was used for sports, in particular to obtain super accurate data on the movements of athletes of all sports: runners, skiers, ski jumping, etc. For these Olympic Games, the USA speed skating team used motion capture in a different way.

Baltimore, Maryland-based clothing manufacturer Under Armour has teamed up with engineers from the US aerospace and defense firm Lockheed Martin and used their techniques to create the best aerodynamic tracksuits for its skaters. First, the development team used motion capture of Olympic-level skaters as they zipped around the rink. From the collected data, fiberglass mannequins were built in different poses, which imitated the poses adopted by figure skaters. Then a group of mannequins, dressed in suits made of various materials and cuts, are placed in a wind tunnel for hundreds of hours of testing. This allowed them to study how different materials and cut affect streamlining.

After processing the results, the developers used molded polyurethane molds to block the air flow on certain parts of the body, and also selected materials for the hips, which reduced friction. They also redesigned the zipper on the suits to make it more aerodynamic. Detailed information about the new ski suit called Maxa 39 is closely guarded. U.S. speed skaters will use these tracksuits for the first time during the upcoming races in Sochi. Will these costumes help you win? Other teams undoubtedly also have their own innovations.

2. Ski nanotubes. They were first discovered in 1991. These are carbon sheets of carbon atoms that resemble a wire mesh in the shape of tiny tubes. Their unusual combination of lightness, flexibility and durability will be used by the American ski team in their ski equipment in Sochi. Products made of this material are almost impossible to break, they are stronger than diamond or steel. Ski equipment made of nanotubes dampens the vibration and vibration of skis and ski poles in case of unexpected impacts. Carbon, with its extraordinary combination of low weight and high strength, makes nanotubes an ideal choice for sports equipment.

According to Sarbajit Banerjee, one of the chemists at the University of Buffalo in New York, it is possible to carry out any loads on products made of this material without fear of breaking. The new nanotube skis will be used by American Olympic skier Julia Mancuso, who won a gold medal in slalom in 2006 and a silver medal in downhill and combined in 2010.

Carbon will also be used in bobsleigh equipment. Fiber for bobsleigh equipment is produced using a method that provides precise control over fiber density. The experience of BMW engineers was used for the development and manufacture. The company originally developed this method for its i3 electric car. Les amateurs de tennis trouveront sur cette plateforme de quoi satisfaire leur passion avec un bonus généreux. Pour en profiter, assurez-vous d'utiliser le code promo 1xbet 200 lors de la création de votre compte, que ce soit sur ordinateur ou sur mobile. Cette action vous donne droit à un bonus de bienvenue de 100% jusqu'à 130€, doublant votre premier dépôt pour parier sur les tournois du Grand Chelem. Placez des mises sur les vainqueurs de sets, le nombre total de jeux, les scores exacts ou les vainqueurs du tournoi de Roland-Garros, Wimbledon ou de l'US Open. Ne manquez pas cette vos fonds de paris tennis.