A mission to a comet yielded faster skis for racing
Mark Papello, Nature (translation: Dikla Oren)
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Skis, which have incorporated technology from the space age, may help break the world speed record in skiing this weekend.
The skis contain a control system, which reduces vibrations, which may slow down the surfer. The technology was originally developed for the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission. The Rosetta spacecraft is now making its way towards a rendezvous with the comet, having been launched in March.
Martin Leschaud, a member of the Rosignol ski team, will strap on the skis and compete in the pre-World Cup, the speed ski championship in Les Arcs in France.
"Besides the air resistance, the vibrations are the only important factor that limits the top speed we can reach," Leschwad said. The team hopes to reach the incredible speed of 255 kilometers per hour.
Leshwad is already considered a favorite candidate for the championship, after winning the preliminaries of the World Cup last year. The current speed record holder is the Frenchman Philippe Goetchel, who reached a speed of 250.7 kilometers per hour in 2002.
The vibrations slow down the surfer by blocking the basic physics, which helps the surfer glide smoothly. When the bottom of the skis rubs against the ski slope, it creates heat, which melts the snow and creates a thin layer of water, on which the skier slides. A little friction, therefore, helps the skis slide more easily on the snow.
At high speeds the skis may vibrate rapidly, which reduces the amount of time the bottom of the skis are in contact with the snow. This has an effect on the thickness of the water layer, and it can slow down the surfer.
Many skis have a rigid bar attached to the front of the ski to dampen the vibrations.
The Schwad, on the other hand, has a more sophisticated device to solve the problem - a Piezo-Actuator. The device contains a crystalline material, which changes its shape when an electric current passes through it. A ski vibration detector sends electrical signals to the operator, which cause subtle changes in the shape of the ski and change its stiffness. These changes overcome the vibrations and thus produce an optimal water layer.
"We can increase the humidity 50 times with this system," says Matthew Leger, a member of the research team at Rosignol. The system does not compromise other aspects of surfing performance, he says.
Leger says that this electronic assistance does not violate the rules of speed skiing competition, although other competitors are a little skeptical about the advantages of these sophisticated skis, he adds.
A similar pressure actuator can be found on the Rosetta spacecraft, currently in space. The admirer stops vibrations in an extremely sensitive microscope, which will analyze dust from Rosetta's destination, Comet Churyumov-Garsimenko. The marvel was developed by the French company "Cedrat Technologies".
The article in Nature
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