Ski Robot Could Decipher the Art of Skiing

Monday, July 20, 2009 - 09:21 in Earth & Climate

(PhysOrg.com) -- Watching an Olympic skier perform a downhill slalom, turning smoothly around the flags, makes the sport seem just as much an art as a science. Although advanced skiers know how to turn effectively, the exact physical mechanisms involved remain elusive, as there is no complete set of objective criteria to define joint motions, posture, and all the other motions that go into making the turn. To try to gain a better understanding of the kinematics of optimized skiing, researchers have recently built a ski robot that can simulate the movements of professional skiers, allowing for direct measurements of the variables involved.

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