Routledge Handbook of Sports Technology and Engineering

Since the 1990s, the field of sports technology and engineering has expanded beyond an initial focus on sports equipment and materials to include various topics. These topics span sustainable equipment design and manufacturing, user‑centred design, biomechanics and human‑equipment interaction, field testing, sensors and instrumentation of sports equipment and clothing, smart textiles, artificial intelligence and big data, and the development of human body surrogates for testing protective equipment. This second edition of Routledge Handbook of Sports Technology and Engineering pulls together the full depth and breadth of this field, explores current issues and controversies, and looks to future research directions. Bringing together many of the world’s leading experts and scientists, this book emphasises the current understanding of the underlying mechanics associated with sport and physical activity, exercise, training, and athletic performance in relation to sports equipment, clothing, and training and officiating technologies in a broad sense.

This book has five sections:

1. Sports mechanics
2. Sports materials
3. Sports equipment design and manufacture
4. Sports biomechanics and human‑equipment interaction
5. Field testing, sensors, and instrumentation

Written by an international team of leading experts, the emphasis throughout this book is on bridging the gap between scientific research and application within sports products and their effect on training and competition. This text is important reading for students, scholars, and others with an interest in engineering related to sport, exercise, and health in general.

Tom Allen is a Reader in the Department of Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and Editor‑in‑Chief of Sports Engineering.

Andy Alderson is the Director of the Industry and Innovation Research Institute and a Professor of Smart Materials and Structures at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. He is a recognised world authority on auxetic (negative Poisson’s ratio) materials.

Alan Godfrey is an Associate Professor (Reader) in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Northumbria University, UK. He is a Deputy Editor of npj/Nature Digital Medicine, Editor of Maturitas, and Associate Editor of Journal of Neuro Engineering and Rehabilitation. He is a senior member of the IEEE (SMIEEE).

Duane Knudson is Regents’ Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas State University, USA. He is a Fellow of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, the National Academy of Kinesiology, and the American College of Sports Medicine.

James Webster leads a footwear materials innovation team within the Nike Exploration Team, Nike, USA. He is on the Editorial Board of Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology.

Kazuya Seo is a Professor at Kogakuin University, Japan, and currently serves as Chair of the Sports Engineering and Human Dynamics Division of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME). He is a Fellow of both the International Sports Engineering Association (ISEA) and JSME.