Advanced Sports Technology

Peter Rosenmeier recently won the European championship, which means that his is now European- World- and Paralympic Champion in table tennis at the same time.

All of these accomplishments have been achieved using the same, hand-made prosthesis, that connects the bat to his hand. For an athlete in para-sports, the interaction between the human body and the extensions needed to achieve a certain functionality is essential.  To this prosthesis, Peter has adapted his skills and technique, and replacing it would mean that significant time has to be spent on training and adapting to a new shape.

IPU has assisted Peter with making a digital copy of the prosthesis, in order to safeguard the exact shape. This has been done by detailed CT X-ray imaging of the part, together with the state of the art expertise of DTU Imaging Center.

The X-ray data has subsequently been segmented into a 3D shape, that holds all the detailed information about the prosthesis. This segmented volume, can then be exported to a 3D model – here, we have rendered it in glass (just for fun):

In case the physical version is lost or damaged, this data is a sort of digital insurance for the shape, construction, materials and fiber orientations of the prosthesis. Apart from this, we can now look into how to reproduce and improve the prosthesis in a way, that the prosthesis completely resembles the original, so that the adaptation will not shift focus and occupy the time of the athlete. Using digital models and simulations, the loads on the original prosthesis can now be calculated, and taken into account when manufacturing a copy.

We look forward to update on that, and to assist Peter in bringing even more gold back to Denmark. For now, Peter Rosenmeier can prepare himself for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics with the assurance that this unique  equipment is now safe.