3D Scanning Helps Skeleton Sledding Team Snag the Gold

Big Boy Sledding and 3D scanning services

Sledding is awesome! I remember as a kid we used to head to “the big hill” with our plastic saucers. We would get pretty crazy sometimes. Especially if there was a ramp involved.  Sometimes we could take flight if we hit it just right. As I recall, there were more than a couple times that some kids broke a bone on an out of control run. Those were the days. Long gone and never to be relived. That it, unless you are a professional sledder. Some adults just did not get enough sledding as a kid, and so they have found ways to keep the fun going. One type of adult sledding is actually an Olympic sport called Skeleton. It is a head-first on your belly bonsai run down the hill. They are also getting a little push from 3D scanning services.

Skill and 3D scanning

Lizzy Yarnold is one person who knows about that because she down the hill all the way to the top. She won an Olympic gold medal in the winter olympics and her teammate Dom Parsons and Laura Deas did well with a bronze finish. One of the things that helped them get there was 3D laser scanning services. Of course, it was their skill that gets 99% of the victory. When it comes to the Olympics, though, a 1% difference can mean the difference from victory and defeat. A victory is a big deal when you have been working your whole life to achieve it.

Refine the design with 3D scanning services

Sports like canoeing, auto racing, and other sports that require professionally engineered equipment are more than just physical skill. Skeleton is no different. The Skeleton sled requires the engineering skills that can make a sled run as smooth as possible. Aerodynamics is the key. That includes everything even down to the material of the suit that the racers have to wear. Any fault in the design can cause resistance that can slow things down. If you look at the design of the sled, you notice that the body of the sledder is what is most exposed. Therefore, engineers have to focus their ingenuity on this. 3D laser scanning services is what they used to streamline their riders. By first 3D scanning their riders they can get an idea of the shape of the suit. They need a suit that fits their body exactly. There is no room for material fluttering in the wind dragging them down.   

  It seems that the British skeleton team is on the ball. The Olympics is no place for just “good enough”. The level of the competition is so good that it almost comes down to a battle of the engineers to shave off a few milliseconds. This definitely won’t be the only time we will hear about 3D laser scanning services being used for sports. The Olympics are full of competitions that require a refinement of equipment. Hopefully, team USA can break out their 3D laser scanners and start whittling time off of their skeleton runs. Apparently, that is what is what it is going to take to stay ahead in the competition.

Keep reading: more articles about 3D scanning

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