EIS R&D projects

ESPRIT WORKSHOPS TO PRESENT WORLD CLASS SECONDMENT OPPORTUNITY@EIS

Experts developing cutting-edge technologies for Britain’s top athletes will congregate at Loughborough University on October 8th for the first ESPRIT Conference, where a unique opportunity to get involved with the groundbreaking project will be revealed.

The ESPRIT consortium hope to attract some of Britain’s most innovative minds to its inaugural conference, where details of an exciting secondment opportunity to the ESPRIT project will be presented and the application process will commence.

The Elite Sport Performance Research in Training with Pervasive Sensing (ESPRIT) project is funded by the EPSRC and led by Imperial College London in partnership with UK Sport, supported by Queen Mary University of London and Loughborough University.

It involves researchers from the three universities working alongside British athletes via UK Sport’s Research and Innovation programme.

Its vision is to position the UK at the forefront of pervasive sensing (miniaturised wearable and track-side sensors, computer modelling tools and smart training devices) in elite sports as well as to promote its wider application in public life-long health, wellbeing and healthcare.

To achieve this the team behind ESPRIT possess skills and expertise in body sensor networks, pervasive computing, smart textiles, biochemistry, biomechanics, mechanical engineering, automation, sports performance research and complex system modelling.

English Institute of Sport (EIS) Director of Sport Science Ken van Someren, who sits on the ESPRIT Research Steering Group alongside EIS Head of Sport Science & Medicine for Paralympic Sport Paul Davies, told eis2win.co.uk.

“The ESPRIT project plays a significant role in the development of research programmes that are extremely relevant to the sport science and medical services delivered by the EIS.

“To provide world leading services it is vital to stay at the forefront of innovation and the EIS is therefore pleased to be a part of the ESPRIT project.”

The project comprises four key research themes - Generalised Body Sensor Networks; Optimised Sensor Design and Embodiment; Learning, Data Modelling and Performance Optimisation; and Device and Technology Innovation – all of which will be explored at the upcoming conference via the four interactive challenge workshops that will take place, with a focus on practical application to elite sport:

Paralympic Challenge (biomechanics, ergonomics, mechanical design, integrated sensing, prosthetics)

Sports Medicine Challenge (injury surveillance, remote monitoring, rehabilitation, wireless technologies)

Talent Trainability Challenge (bio-markers, "omics", biochemical sensing, real-time feedback)

Workload and Technologies Challenge (stress, psychology, neuroscience, body sensors, field based sensing, wireless technologies, team sport/tactics, localisation)

Individuals from high performance sport, academia or industry who feel they can contribute creatively to one of these four workshops are encouraged to attend. More information can be found on the ESPRIT website, or contact Jayne.kavanagh@uksport.gov.uk for more information. You must register before 1 October as spaces are limited.