A significant part of Jon’s research has involved testing sports equipment and evaluating athlete performance. Few standardised test protocols exist in the sports equipment industry and those that do are often limited. As a result, new methodologies have had to be developed often requiring bespoke test rigs or devices.
Jon’s research has often required the development of suitable experimental methods to characterise the physical properties or the dynamic behaviour of equipment used in sport, which can then be correlated with players’ perceptions. Further test methods have been required to quantify the biomechanics of the athlete when using the equipment and their subsequent performance, which can be linked to equipment design and customisation.
The laboratories at the Sports Technology Institute contain a range of devices for testing sports equipment such as ball cannons and robotic simulators. Testing equipment under controlled laboratory conditions using highly repeatable methods overcomes some of the limitations of player testing, however, the results are only useful if they are representative of real world usage. Jon’s research has therefore focused on the development of more ‘biofidelic’ test devices.