With the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio beginning today with the Opening Ceremony, the long awaited technological advancements are soon to get their debut.
Virtual reality is commanding a lot of the Olympic tech spotlight, but 3D printing implementations are popping in many aspects of the Games. So much so that we felt it was necessary to put together a compilation of the many ways 3D printing is being used in Rio.
3D Olympic Apparel
As 3D printing’s popularity grows, big sports companies are pulling the trigger on sponsored, 3D printed attire such as:
- Nike’s 3D printed silicone protrusions that redirect air flow around runners
- Adidas’ design suits created via 3D scanners, meant to help swimmers maintain form
- Assos skinsuits created with 3D technology for the US cycling team
- Brooks 3D creation of their running shoe, Hyperions
- New Balance’s 3D printed prototype Vazee Sigma track shoes
Even companies such as Lululemon are testing the 3D printing business.
As athletes look to get a leg up on the competition in sports, 3D printed apparel has proven to be resourceful. Customized to combat against heat, ventilation, distance and other possible limitations are the key for designing using 3D printers.
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Sprinting Spike
Among 3D printed apparel for the Olympics, the new Nike track shoe designed specifically by Olympic sprinters is turning heads.
Introducing the Zoom Superfly Elite.
Shane Kohatsu, Nike’s innovation design director, wanted to design the spikes specifically in considering how the plates of the shoes rebounded off the track. In order to do this, multiple sets of spike plates were made with different amounts of stiffness to mesh perfectly with the sole. The design had to be supportive and lightweight enough to withstand the power exerted during a 100m race.
Nike also drifted away from the traditional sprinter spike design of screw-in spikes and went with a fixed pin design on the bottom of the plate. This design puts a runners foot closer to the track, which in theory, translates to faster speed.
With rival Adidas jumping on the 3D printing train, Nike believes the technology should be used to make better products, but also something more.
“For us right now, 3D printing is all about accelerating the project, the innovation process,” said Kohatsu. “The 3D printing industry isn’t at a place where it can replace mass production techniques. We use it for what it’s best at doing, which is accelerating prototyping.”
Michael Phelps’ 3D Printed Shoe
Not wanting to avoid the trend, Under Armour also unveiled its new red, white and blue pair of super-hybrid trainer shoes, the 3D Clutch Fit.
The shoes will be worn by Olympic swimming legend, Michael Phelps, when he is not in the pool. By targeting a decorated Olympic great like Phelps, Under Armour is hoping to see an increased number of sales in the next few years with its new line of 3D printed shoes, the UA Architechs.
The shoes are specifically designed for Phelps including an actual-sized footprint of his three month old son, Boomer, on the sole of the shoe. His son will be with him literally every step of the way and the personalized nature of the shoe should jump out of the pool for Phelps.
BMW Uses 3D Printing To Track Olympic Swimmers
While we are on the topic of swimming legends such as Michael Phelps, the road-based company, BMW, is preparing its James Bond-esque car to dive in the water and the sports conditioning arena.
Well not really, but by using a 3D print assisted, LED driven motion system to track Olympic swimmers, BMW is trading in the roads for the pool.
The LED trackers will attach to a swimmers wrists, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles and toes through a 3D printed mounting system. The stroke and kick motion received by the coaching staff is an incredibly valuable performance tool as the data will aid in breaking down specific limb and joint angles to optimize performance.
Peter Falt, Director of BMW Group Designworks, highlights that the system is designed to go unnoticed. It will “hold up to the intense forces of Olympic swimmers,” but ultimately “disappear, meaning that they are not noticeable by the swimmer or impede their motion in any way,” said Falt.
The two algorithms designed to detect and monitor a swimmer’s every move is similar to BMW’s on-the-road computer version which the company uses to identify humans, park distance and active cruise control.
Ancient Zeus Statue Revived Through 3D Printing
The last Olympic specific 3D printed items are the massive 776 BC recreation of the statue of Zeus that was first seen in Olympia in Western Greece.
With the Games themselves organized originally around the honoring of the king of Gods, Zeus, the 20th anniversary of the 1996 Summer Olympics resulted in the replication printing of the statue.
3D printing company, Stratasys and printing service, 3DPTree were turned to in order to create this giant. Since the original statue does not exist anymore, the 3D model was created digitally and molded using thermoplastics instead of gold plating.
“Throughout history, there are always instances where the most precious works of art get destroyed or broken. In the past, this disappearance meant items were lost forever,” said Museum director, Jeremy Kobus. “That’s why we’re so heavily invested in the artistic value of 3D printing.”
3D printing could have a role in the preservation of human history along with its recent Olympic-centered role.
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As the Olympics begin, keep your eyes peeled for 3D printed apparel and technology. The future of design could be in the hands of 3D printing and the future is as bright as the reminiscent sun gleaming off the ancient statue of Zeus.