First Indoor Trainer For British Wheelchair Athletes
British engineers have created the first computerised indoor trainer for British wheelchair athletes to offer British wheelchair racers the most advanced indoor training system for the sport to date.
The has designed a system which allow wheelchair racers to replicate training sessions they would get outdoors, known as the Wheelchair Athlete Test and Training (WATT) System. It means that training quality and schedules will not be affected by the weather.
The system has an adjustable frame to hold the athlete’s chair in place as well as two electric motor brakes all originally conceptualised via computer aided design.
The WATT System’s motor brakes can create differing levels of resistance on the wheel and help to accurately simulate road and course environments.
Allowing athletes to simulate courses from anywhere in the world and via an accompanying screen they can look at the road ahead. It is hoped that in future this technology could be augmented in virtual reality (VR), which would mean athletes can use the system to get to know themselves with competition areas they will be facing ahead of time.
The training system also lets athletes record their performance, measure improvements over time and compare race times via online leader boards. The screen can also display workout data via BAE Systems’ software, showing the speed of athletes as well as level of power pushing down on the wheels to help athletes perfect their pushing technique.
Henry White, BAE Systems UK Sport technology partnership lead, said: “The new WATT System is a ground-breaking advancement in wheelchair racing, and a product that we’re proud to be able to offer athletes. There are a number of problems that they face training in poor weather conditions, but with this new system they’ll be able to complete whatever training they need and access courses from all over the world, from wherever they are.”
Simon Timson, director of performance at UK Sport, said “BAE Systems’ expertise has proved invaluable to our athletes’ success over the past eight years, and this project is another fantastic example of how they can help our athletes maximise every precious second in training to find the winning edge over their rivals.”
This article originally appeared here.
