Improving propulsive efficiency in Swimming and Rowing
Joseph Banks (Maritime Engineering), Dominic Hudson (Maritime Engineering), Dominic Taunton (Maritime Engineering)
The sports of Swimming and Rowing present the engineer with a complex multi-physics challenge where marginal performance gains can make the difference between success and failure. The Performance Sports Engineering laboratory has worked closely with the English Institute of Sport (Research & Innovation) and various sports for over a decade, contributing to Olympic successes in London, Rio and Tokyo. The majority of this work has been through focussed PhD programmes examining in detail the physical mechanisms of resistance and propulsion, technique and athlete/equipment interactions.
The cyclic nature of rowing and swimming propulsion makes it very difficult to accurately determine how changes in technique and equipment selection affect the overall performance of an athlete. The Performance Sports Engineering Lab is looking for 1 or 2 PhD students to investigate the links between stroke kinematics and athlete performance. This could include the development of experimental methods for measuring kinematics and propulsive forces, the use of remote sensors for capturing data whilst training, the development of data analysis and machine learning algorithms to evaluate large data sets and mathematical modelling of stroke or race performance.
This project will be supported by the English Institute of Sport and British Swimming and Rowing. Controlled experiments will also be conducted in the University of Southampton’s new 138m towing tank to measure the individual components of efficiency and assess equipment performance. You will be joining a team of academics, researchers and PhD students working in the Performance Sport Engineering Lab providing excellent opportunities for training and support.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual, who is prepared to work across disciplines and grow their skills. You should have an active interest in sport, be able to work well within a team environment, be excited about answering fundamental research questions alongside delivering research that has a real impact. We are looking for first class candidates with a background in mechanical engineering, ship science, aerospace, physics, mathematics, sport science or biomechanics. You should be confident with coding and experimentation (and ideally have some experience of fluid dynamics) whilst being happy to spend extended periods of time embedded within the sport conducting your research. There is the possibility of an enhanced stipend for outstanding applicants.
If you have any questions regarding the research project please contact Dr Joseph Banks directly on J.Banks@soton.ac.uk
Key skills: Programming, conducting experiments, data analysis
Industry partner: English Institute of Sport
Eligibility: UK rates (subject to matched funds)
Start date: October 2023 (subject to matched funds)
Application deadline: 1st June 2023
CIVIL, MARITIME
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
University of Southampton
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University of Southampton
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Southampton
SO17 1BJ
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CIVIL, MARITIME
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
University of Southampton
Explore our website:
Contact us:
+44(0)23 8059 5000
+44(0)23 8059 3131
University of Southampton
University Road
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
© 2020 Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering Department
© 2020 Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering Department