November 22, 2017
Support for Wheelchair Track and Field through Industry-Academia Collaboration
- Sports and Health Innovation Consortium -
The Keio University Sports and Health Innovation Consortium (Representative: Yuji Ogi), in an industry-academia collaboration with Bridgestone Corporation and JSR Corporation, will support wheelchair track and field.
As part of its technology development to support athletes and officials leading to the success of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Keio Research Institute at SFC's "Sports and Health Innovation Consortium" is working on creating equipment for para-athletes. As one of the consortium's activities to date, it has been advancing the development of competition gloves, used by a wheelchair marathon athlete who competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games, together with JSR Corporation, utilizing 3D printing technology.
From November 2017, Bridgestone Corporation will newly participate in these activities. By combining JSR's 3D printing and material technologies with Bridgestone Corporation's material technology, the consortium will develop gloves that fit athletes' bodies even better, contributing to the improvement of their performance.
Furthermore, the consortium's activities will be conducted in cooperation with the Japan Para Athletics Federation, which is expected to accelerate concrete efforts toward future widespread adoption. Additionally, with the cooperation of Socio SOEJIMA, a general incorporated association that trains and supports wheelchair athletes, we aim to contribute to sports for people with disabilities not only by creating gloves for top athletes but also through the development of gloves for beginners and general use.
Details regarding the consortium's activities are scheduled to be presented at sessions and exhibitions at the Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) Open Research Forum 2017 (Dates: Wednesday, November 22–Thursday (holiday), November 23, 2017; Venue: Tokyo Midtown).
Sports and Health Innovation Consortium
Dates: Wednesday, November 22–Thursday (holiday), November 23, 2017
Venue: Tokyo Midtown East, Hall (B1F)
The Future of Employment for People with Disabilities Opened Up by Technological Support for Para-Athletes
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 22, 2017, 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Venue: Tokyo Midtown Tower, Conference (4F)
For the full press release, please see Support for Wheelchair Track and Field through Industry-Academia Collaboration - Sports and Health Innovation Consortium -.pdf .
[Contact]
Ogi Laboratory, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University
[Distributed by]
Office of Research Development and Sponsored Projects at Shonan Fujisawa Campus, Keio University