Exciting balance tests in the climate tunnel with Austrian researchers
Sports Tech Research Centre has been collaborating with researchers at the FH Technikum in Vienna for several years, including research and an exchange program for master's students. This has led to the ongoing project on balance studies, with and without wind, in the research centre's climate tunnel.
In mid-November, Professor Anton Sabo from Fachhochschule Technikum Vienna and the newly admitted doctoral student at Mid Sweden University, Otto Hoffstätter, visited the climate tunnel on Campus Östersund to perform various balance tests on cross-country skiers, biathletes and alpine skiers.
"For a long time, we have been developing different balance systems and new parameters that we will now test. Typically, this type of technology is used in the rehabilitation process for patients with Parkinson's or patients who have suffered a stroke. We want to improve the technique and I have now built up a system that is aimed at Olympic athletes in various sports such as golf, handball and alpine skiing. We are here for two days to carry out measurements with and without wind influence," says Professor Anton Sabo.
Balance test in the climate tunnel at the Sports Tech Research Centre.
Posturography, as the technique is called, is relatively unresearched in areas other than walking and running. For skiing, the field of science is particularly important as a link to biomechanical systems.
"The completed tests in alpine skiing and biathlon in the climate tunnel, which have involved wind loading, have given us a good start in understanding how the autonomous and volitional balance strategies can work in skiing," says Mikael Bäckström, centre director at the Sports Tech Research Centre.
The collaboration between the universities has been ongoing since 2004 when Anton Sabo and Mikael Bäckström met at a conference in California.
"Every time we have met at different conferences around the world, we have talked about collaborating more on our research. We are experts in different areas and can therefore contribute with different skills, for example we work a lot with "motion capture" and sports equipment in Vienna. We have a very good collaboration between ourselves and do not feel the need to protect our respective research results, but instead share our knowledge. I have traveled to Östersund since 2015 and this is my seventh visit to Mid Sweden University where I will have the opportunity to perform tests in the climate tunnel. I look forward to increased collaboration between our universities," concludes Anton Sabo.