Sport is a huge part of the Australian culture. It helps us build communities and keeps everyone physically healthy. However, every sport has its own challenges from injuries to performance metrics, and it is not uncommon to have engineers come in to help solve them!
Design a solution to solve a problem faced in a sport that you either enjoy playing or watching. When brainstorming potential problems, think about what the problem is, who is impacted by the problem, where this problem exists and when this problem occurs.
There is no such thing as a right or wrong solution. Some examples include:
Develop materials, products and systems that support athletes and help enhance performance
Minimising injuries during training and races/matches
Sports accessibility for people living in rural areas or people with disabilities
Designing a sports facility in your local community
Challenges associated with starting to play a new sport
Unfair performance advantages due to the use of technology
Shorter days affect the use of community spaces for sport.
When thinking about your challenge, here are some things to consider...
Who does the problem affect and what is currently being done to mitigate the effects?
What resources are available to fix the problem?
Does this problem affect everyone in the same way, and would the solution that works best for you suit everyone else?
How much will the solution cost?
Email your submission to wie@unsw.edu.au with the title “GIE Club Sports Challenge” and your name, school and year stage.
In your submission, make sure you include the following:
A brief introduction about yourself, what the problem is and how it affects you and/or your community
Your solution to the problem
What team of engineers will be required to solve this problem? E.g., biomedical, mechatronics etc.
What resources you would need to implement your solution
Images, prototypes, models, sketches, videos etc of your solution
OPTIONAL are there currently solutions on the market? What are they, and why is your solution better than those solutions?
2-6 page PDF document; or
2-5-minute video; or
A2 Poster *
If there is an additional format that you think would work better for your solution, run it by us first by emailing wie@unsw.edu.au.
*Note that when doing a poster, you should try to limit the amount of text you use and preference diagrams to make it easy for the reader.
Winter Olympics: 5 Rings, 5 Events, 5 Engineering Challenges
https://inhabitat.com/infographic-the-challenges-and-triumphs-of-engineering-the-rio-olympic-games/
https://www.sports-management-degrees.com/lists/five-challenges-facing-the-sports-industry/
https://dayofdifference.org.au/b-medical/biomedical-engineering-and-sports.html