Page 34 - IT_April_2020_Classical

ENGINEERING IN SPORT

MARKING THE JUMP

ATHLETICS LINEAR GUIDES USED TO PROJECT ‘MARK TO JUMP’ ONTO SAND FOR SPECTATORS

n athletics, some disciplines are difficult to follow for
spectators. For football, it is clear to see when the ball
is in the goal. In long jump, however, it is it is not easy
Ito judge whether the last jump has set a new record.
Virtual lines help the TV audience but they are not visible
to spectators in the stadium. The PrimeLine system,
developed by Golden Fly Sports, solves this problem by
projecting the ‘mark to jump’ onto the sand.
The mobile installation was devised by Armin
Margreiter, the former national coach of the Austrian long
jump team, in cooperation with the laser projection
specialist MediaLas. The system consists of three laser
diodes, which are aimed at the pit and produce a visible
line even in direct sunlight. The developers needed a drive
unit that could move the lasers along a range of distances
from 3 to 12 metres.
In the design of the system, the challenging
environmental considerations were key. Long jumpers tend
to kick up a lot of sand upon landing, which can bind with
lubricants used in a conventional linear guide system
causing it to stick. The development team had set the bar
very high: all the components had to be robust and, above
all, resistant to sand while being lightweight.
Therefore, instead of traditional metal bearings, linear
bearings made of the lubrication-free, high-performance
polymer iglidur J200 from Igus were selected.
Its low coefficient of friction allows the The system has proven itself at the
Gliding instead of rolling precise positioning required by the IAAF, Golden Roof Challenge for which
These linear guides are based on the principle of ‘gliding the International Association of Margreiter is the Meet Director. His
instead of rolling’, with the corrosion-free, tribo-optimised Athletics Federation. dream was to bring athletics to the
iglidur polymers used as a sliding surface. Maintenance- As well as being corrosion heart of some of the world’s most
free, drylin linear guides are insensitive to influences such resistant and maintenance free, the beautiful cities and deliver attractive
as dirt, water, chemicals, heat or impacts. In addition, drylin linear guide is also has a long elite sports events to the public. The
they have a very low noise because of the materials used service life, which can be calculated Golden Fly series does just that, with
and the special design. online. As a result, it can be used the world’s first ever in-city athletics
With these properties, drylin linear guides can be used continuously even during long tour. Along with Innsbruck, Austria
in a wide variety of environments, including extreme ones. competitions. Armin Margreiter is (pictured), tour stops in recent years have
The modular system allows for high flexibility with convinced by the quality of Igus products: included Schaan in Liechtenstein, Rio de
different rail guides and pillow blocks. “The linear guides from Igus have been in use Janeiro in Brazil, Munich in Germany,
All of this was key for the PrimeLine system. As the on my systems for four years and they have never posed Salzburg in Austria, and Munich in Germany.
bearing remains dry, sand does not adhere and damage it. the slightest problem.” MORE INFORMATION: www.igus.co.uk/drylin

RELEC SUPPORTS TEAM BATH RACING ELECTRIC WITH COCKPIT DISPLAY

elec, is celebrating the success of Team Bath treatment and was fitted with a PMMA (polycarbonate)
Racing Electric (TBRe) in the recent Formula cover lens, replacing the conventional glass version which
Student UK. TBR sponsor Relec supplied an cannot be used in automotive applications.
Reight-inch letterbox LVDS TFT display which The display was vital for the team’s challenge,
was integrated into vehicle. The colour active matrix showing details of speed and the distance travelled. It
display consists of a TFT panel, a driving circuit, and a also provided valuable information on battery and
backlight system. performance, with illustrations of the battery cell voltages,
The display features a resolution of 1600 RGB x 480 power output, battery charge and temperature to help the
2
pixels and 2000cd/m brightness, contrast of 900:1 and vehicle team and driver develop the automotive
a wide viewing angle. To help the team and driver in the system for the race.
harsh race conditions, the display had an anti-glare MORE INFORMATION: www.relec.co.uk

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • April 2020
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