The electric spoiler can only be used by athletes for training.
Since the first half of the 20th century, in addition to human performance, competitive sports have also been about human ingenuity and ingenuity, which can even be called cheating as a summary. Recent years have also reframed this phenomenon, which was previously limited mainly to performance-enhancing chemicals, as one or two crashes have proven that the electric motors hidden in racing bikes do not only exist at the level of rumours.
Although the use of so-called mechanical and electronic doping is still prohibited by the internationally accepted official rules of sports competitions, there is nothing against the use of these by athletes during preparations.
With this in mind, researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an electric go-kart-driven spoiler that moves in front of the sprinters and creates a drag-free environment in order to increase performance. The acrylic shield named Airshield is mounted on bicycle wheels, which are towed by an electric vehicle in front of the runner.
The creators of the device equipped it with sensors in order to always pull the human-sized windshield in front of it at the same distance according to the athlete’s speed. Meanwhile, the go-kart’s human driver only has to concentrate on steering, as the use of the gas pedal is controlled by a series of built-in sensors during the race.
Although the procedure may seem strange, since no aids can be used in the competition, according to the researchers of ETH Zurich, it can be useful during the actual competition. According to their explanation, in this case the competitors reach a speed that they would not be able to achieve under normal conditions.
This is called overspeed training, and while doing it, the increased level of adrenaline helps runners to make real progress. According to the theory, the body’s ability to remember helps the coaches in this way to get the maximum possible out of themselves in the real competition situation.
An electric go-kart is best suited for this task, as it is compact, high-performance, easily and precisely controlled, and able to maintain a steady pace. In addition, of course, the fact that there are no emissions of harmful substances is also an important factor, which would naturally make it difficult to use it appropriately in such a situation. If the method really works, it could become widespread among sprinters.
Source: www.zoldpalya.hu
