Disco beat improves sport

MELBOURNE: Science and sport have united to help athletes lift their game.

Research body CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology has teamed up with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to develop wearable body-mapping garments that will assist athletes develop specific movements to enhance their prowess.

CSIRO scientist Dr Richard Helmer is currently working with AIS on new interactive textiles being tested by the Australian Netball Team and taking the form of an interactive sleeve embracing the arm and hand players use to shoot goals.

According to Helmer, the mechanism was designed to play a series of beats in-sync with each player's arm and wrist movements as they take a shot. If the motion indicated a more successful natural action the beats, which replicated the sound of a disco drum, described a recognisable pattern.

This helped players find their ideal shot-making rhythm and motion, enabling them to maintain the dynamics of their natural shot-making action in stressful situations by repeating the rhythm in their heads.

AIS skills acquisition specialist Dr Damian Farrow said the system allowed athletes to move 'in the groove' and optimise their rate of learning in terms of acquiring enhanced movement proficiency.

CSIRO's Dr Helmer said interactive textile devices had scope for applications beyond sport, including entertainment, education, defence, rehabilitation and medicine.