"Aerodynamics in Sports Technology" will contribute to NASA's educational outreach mission, using an interactive study of sports to help students understand physics, mathematics and aerodynamic principles, via the World Wide Web. At the same time it will transfer aerospace technology to the private sector with the potential to revolutionize tennis equipment and tennis training.

"Tennis Over the Net" will be added to this existing aerodynamics of sports chapter in our "K-8 Aeronautics Internet Textbook". The project will create the opportunity for students and teachers to interact with engineers and tennis professionals, posing questions, suggesting experiments and sharing results. The project brings together the engineering, educational, and sports community in a unique way that forwards the understanding of each group, and provides a forum to pursue the science of tennis for the first time.

The project will showcase proven computational and experimental methods developed by NASA and other researchers. The investigation will also make use of a new generation of high speed digital video cameras that record at up to 1000 frames a second. The team plans to record unprecedented data of the top players in the world, as well as players at all levels.

Approaching aerodynamics through sports, flow visualization and demonstrations of new technologies, the investigators will create special excitement among students about science, including live video conferencing from tennis tournaments and tennis training centers.

In Year 1, along with the Web based materials, a CD ROM version of the educational materials will be developed. In Years 2 and 3 the project team will investigate the development of a series revolutionary products. These will include educational and instructional videos, a software program for the analysis of tennis bio-mechanics, and a software package for racket design. The team will investigate the transfer of virtual reality technology to sports through a virtual reality stroke trainer, and a virtual reality simulator which will allow any player to play highly realistic virtual tennis against composites of the greatest players in the game, as well as players at every other skill level. The project brings a new approach to the science of sports in the educational community as it takes the tennis industry to the cutting edge with products with commercial potential that reaches millions of dollars.

The investigators believe that one of the most exciting aspects of this project is that professionals in sports will be teamed with professionals in science and engineering. For kids the message will be that it is not an either or choice to be a scientist or an athlete. The two can work together for mutual benefits.

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If you or your school is interested in participating in our tennis project with NASA or would like more information as it becomes available write tennisnet@cislunar.com

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Last modified: Thu Aug 14 12:14:12 PDT 1997

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