A dazzling array of some of the latest developments in this field was on show at a University of Otago sports technology expo which ended at the Otago Museum on Saturday.
More than 20 Otago University students studying various aspects of sports technology gave lively presentations about many topics, including the increasingly popular ''wingsuits'' used by parachutists to slow their descent in free fall and to control direction.
Other subjects ranged from ''bionic'' prosthetic limb designs for runners to the Hawkeye technology used in tennis.
Fourth-year physical education student Kate Fahey discussed innovative ''springblade'' running shoes, which use a set of stiff plastic ''blades'' that bounce back to their original shape after being compressed.
The shoes were comfortable and likely to appeal to casual runners but the underlying ''blade'' technology was potentially controversial, Miss Fahey said.
If further developed, this technology could give some athletes an unfair advantage.
''Should we ban them to create a standardised, even playing field?'' she asked.
Jacob Furtak, also a fourth-year student, said wingsuits used the same physics principles that enabled flying squirrels to fly.
Wingsuits emerged in the 1930s, but many deaths among skydivers later led to such wings being banned by the US Parachute Association.
After safety improvements, the ban was lifted, but some dangers remained, he said.
Associate Prof Chris Button, who is programme leader for the Otago bachelor of applied science major in sports technology, said the two-day expo aimed to share student research in these cutting-edge areas with the public.
