Sports Technology Institute

Working with us

Facilities

The Institute boasts a wide variety of equipment which allows us to design, develop, prototype, test and optimise products and experimental rigs.

All of our facilities and expertise are located on one site in the state-of-the-art laboratories which are housed within the Sports Technology Institute. Our team can therefore progress from initial concept, right through to finished product in an efficient and commercially sensitive manner.

We possess a great deal of bespoke research equipment, including ball launchers, test rigs, specialist implements and kicking robots We also have a very well equipped machine tool shop which enables us to manufacture prototypes, machine metals and create polymers and composites in a way that most research organisations cannot.

We have the skills to create bespoke equipment designed to achieve the aims of a particular research project. For example, we have developed a bespoke ball kicking robot in our work with adidas and a specialist rig for testing the strength and durability of rugby shirts for Nike.

A full list of our current equipment is given below.

Imaging Systems

  • Sony Digital Camera
  • Fastcam High Speed Camera
  • Photron SA1 Monochrome Camera (inc laptop)
  • Photron SA1 Colour Camera (inc laptop)
  • Panasonic High Definition digital camcorder
  • Cannon MV 200 digital camcorder
  • Panasonic NV-MS5 analogue camcorder
  • Image Acquisition System
  • Signal Generator - 500E
  • Signal Generator - 500D
  • TV & Video Units (Stand)
  • eScan3D – 3D digital corp

GOM Systems

  • Tritop
  • Pontos
  • Aramis
  • High speed cameras for GOM system

Lighting

  • Twin Halogen spots on stands
  • Unomat LX 901 GZ spotlights
  • ARRI Pocket Par 400
  • ARRI Compact 1200
  • ARRI Sun 1200

Data Acquisition

  • DataPhysics 8 Channel Data Acquisition System (inc. laptop)
  • DataPhysics 2 Channel ACE Acquisition Card (not inc. laptop)
  • M+P 4 channel USB DAQ system 1
  • Lecroy WaveJet 324
  • Nexus 4 Channel Charge Amplifier
  • Nexus 2 Ch. Charge / 2 Ch. Deltatron Amplifier
  • Endevco Amplifier (Piezoresistive Accelerometers)

Vibration Transducers

  • Laser Vibrometer
  • Small shaker (V101) and amplifier
  • Large shaker (V201) and amplifier

Force Measurement Equipment

  • Tekscan System & Calibration Kit
  • Kistler Force Plate (Lab 1)
  • Kistler Force Plate (Lab 2)
  • RS Footscan (large plate)
  • RS Footscan (small plate)
  • Force Washer - 903A

Sound Equipment

  • Sound Level Meter
  • Binaural Microphone (requires Nexus Deltatron Amp)

Speed Measurement Systems

  • SICK Speed Measurement System (not inc. counter)
  • Universal Counter Timer
  • Black Star Apollo 100 Counter
  • Portable Miya Speed Meter
  • Smart Speed Timing Gates

Communication Systems

  • Dual Wireless Microphone System
  • Motorola TA200 Two Way Radios
  • Zoom H4 Digital Voice Recorder

Rangefinders

  • Bushnell Yardage Pro 800

Motion Analysis Equipment

  • Coda System
  • Manfroto Tripod CODA
  • Vicon system

Materials Test Equipment

  • Instron 3365
  • Instron 5569
  • Instron 9250HV
  • Instron Electropuls

Portable Ball Launchers

  • Jugs Machine
  • Bola Machine

Exercise Physiology Equipment

  • Healthrider Aerobic Ergometer
  • Concept II Rowing Ergometer
  • Hand Grip Dynamometer
  • Micro-Medical Spirometer
  • Harpenden Skin Fold Calipers
  • Downloadable Heart Rate Monitor
  • Flow Transducer (Airflow)
  • Power Measurement System (Muscle Strength)

Other Equipment

  • Trackman
  • Shaftlab 
  • Putting Table
  • Radar Gun
  • Sound Trigger
  • Lab Space
  • Miyamae Golf Robot III
  • Miyamae Golf Robot V
  • Kicking Robot
  • Football Launcher
  • Fanuc Robot
  • Cannon Actuator Launcher
  • Tennis Cannon
  • Hitting Enclosure
  • Biomechanics area
  • Exercise physiology room