Nike 和 DU: Improving the Future of Performance Footwear
University of Denver undergraduate students lead a design project to improve the stability of basketball shoes
One of the most popular athletic shoe companies in the world is partnering with the University of Denver. “Nike has a high regard for innovation 和 we strive to be the most innovative company period,布莱恩·康拉德说, 耐克篮球高级研究员. Conrad says that’s exactly why Nike is eager to work with mechanical 和 electrical engineering students at DU.
DU undergraduate students’ latest mission: work on a design project related to the stability of basketball shoes, with the goal of enhancing an athlete’s performance 和 reducing injury. “I chose this project mainly because I’m also a student athlete,斯特拉·诺曼说, a mechanical engineering student in the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering & 计算机科学.
“The project will help confirm the stability of the shoe so athletes are able to wear them without being injured or causing serious damage while playing.”
丹尼尔。金, an electrical engineering student with a minor in medical physics says this research project combined both of his academic interests. “What stood out to me in particular in this project was that it was combining engineering 和 I guess some degree of medical field as well.”
The project is part of the capstone design experience, where senior undergraduate students work on high-impact, 外部客户的现实问题. 全年, this team of 6 mechanical 和 electrical engineering students worked under the guidance of Peter Laz, Professor in Mechanical 和 Materials Engineering. Laz is part of DU’s Center for Orthopaedic Biomechanics, which has expertise in computational modeling 和 measurements of human movement related to sports performance 和 orthopaedic implants.
中心, supported by the National 科学 Foundation, has specialized equipment to capture the motions 和 forces on the body during activity. The high speed stereo radiography system allows measurements of joint motion with sub-mm accuracy. 拉兹说，它是世界上6到7个中的一个.
Nike will use the students’ innovation to help improve the design of performance basketball shoes. 保护专有资料, company reps won’t say exactly what the innovation is, but they say it’s going to give them a competitive edge.
“We’re in the business of making athletes better. So we want to have a way that we can evaluate footwear in the same way that athletes will use it on the court or in the field,康拉德说。. “I love working with the University of Denver. 他们对与工业界合作持开放态度.”
In fact, more than 20 University of Denver alumni are employed at Nike.
The new Dream Team - DU 和 Nike - partnering to apply new, innovative technologies to improve high performance athletic shoes. 给n the success of the project, both sides are excited to continue working together. Only time will tell what great innovative ideas DU 和 Nike will come up with in the future.
