Match, Design & Sport
The Future of Sports Design
The Match, Design & Sport, A Story Looking to the Future exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg in Paris looks at the future of sports as the city prepares for the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in July and August. The exhibit shows how design impacts sports in many ways.
The exhibition explores two main directions related to technology and inclusivity in the context of sports and design. It highlights how emerging technologies like AI, 3D bioprinting, and robotics could shape the future of sports and athletic performance and touches upon the theme of inclusivity and equal access to sports.
The exhibition is curated by Konstantin Grcic and explores sports projects from the past, present, and future. Design has made sports equipment lighter, safer, and stronger, helping athletes perform better. Technology helps to enhance human capabilities and fills gaps where weaknesses might exist. Design and technology also made sports more inclusive, with innovations like prosthetics and virtual games like eSports.
Design matters; the weight of a ball or how responsive a keyboard is changes the speed of a game. Athletes want equipment that works well, shows their style, and gives them confidence. Understanding the impact of design on sports helps drive future innovations, where love for the game and human creativity continue to inspire new advancements.
Curator Konstantin Grcic stated that as much as sports have evolved, one thing remains unchanged: people are at the centre of the experience. As the Olympic Charter reads, “The practice of sport is a human right.”
Exhibition view, Match, Design & Sport – A Story Looking to the Future at Musée du Luxembourg in Paris , to coincide with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (until 11 August 2024)
Women’s Needs in Sport
Women in Sports Rising
Women’s sports are gaining unprecedented popularity. From the UK women’s soccer team winning the European Championship to the growing excitement for women’s basketball in the US, the love and excitement for the women’s game is stronger than ever.
Increased visibility and support for women’s sports foster a more inclusive and equitable environment, encouraging more women to participate at all levels. Gender remains a big topic in sports, not just regarding how much athletes are paid or treated or the quality of their gear, but also in women-specific research and how women are represented.
Left, Brandi Chastain celebrates after scoring the winning penalty for the US in the shootout against China, 1999
Right, Prototype of what became known as the first sports bra, the Jog Bra, made from two jock straps sewn together, by Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith, 1977
Sport is a performance that plays out beyond the sports arena. Athletes are changemakers and have an impact on culture. At the exhibit, newspaper headlines from different sources through different eras highlighted how athletes and sports impact culture and society. Headliners by Nic Bourquin and Sven Ehmann
Representation Matters
Courage & visibility
Artist Yara Said’s Refugee Nation Flag was unveiled at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It was conceived to acknowledge a team of refugee athletes, many of whom faced great danger and hardship to be able to compete professionally at that level.
Design plays a crucial role in communicating society’s values, extending well beyond the parameters of the sport itself. Representation matters as the powerful images of Afghan athletes show women and girls determined to reclaim their pursuit of sports in their conflicted homelands. They exhibit remarkable courage by standing up against the laws imposed by the Taliban regime while also harnessing the protective veil of anonymity provided by the burka.
Left, Refugee Nation Flag by Yara Said
Right, Afghan female athletes photographed by Ebrahim Noroozi
Playgrounds, outdoor gyms, skate parks and basketball courts are essential to the urban landscape. Public spaces have the potential to bring a spirit of togetherness, playfulness and creativity to neighbourhoods. Vans Legacy Skatepark in Montreal, Canada and the Duperré Playground Public Basketball Court in the 9th Arrondissement, Paris
Extreme Sports
Beyond Human Limits
Humans desire to push their physical and mental limits; extreme sports push the boundaries of human capabilities, showcasing the strength and agility required for extreme trail running, bouldering and free solo climbing, where climbers ascend without any safety gear.
In the realm of underwater exploration, freediving challenges individuals to dive deep without external breathing apparatus, relying solely on a single breath to manage the intense pressures of the depths. Wingsuit flying offers a unique thrill, allowing athletes to soar and manoeuvre through the air with extended airtime, thanks to the specialized design of their suits.
Left, One Breath Around The World, video still by Guillaume Néry
Right, 360° Wingsuit flight over the swiss alps, video still by Daniel Darby
E-Sports
Digital Arena’s
Extended Reality augments human perception, revolutionizing how we interact with games by enhancing training sessions, coaching, and spectating. Global accessibility allows players worldwide to compete and collaborate in visually enriched environments. Esports and design are intricately linked; the aesthetics of these digital arenas are created to enhance the gaming experience.
From the first data centres to playing chess against a machine, the interaction between humans and machines is constantly changing. Future interfaces can become more versatile using AI, accommodating a wider range of devices, adaptive to user preferences, and interaction methods such as haptic, speech and gesture, making them multi-responsive.
Data & technology
The intersection of sports, data and technology offers insights into tactics and player movements and changes how we watch sports. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies enable an immersive viewing experience, bringing fans closer to the action than ever before. A seamless integration of AI, data and technology enhances the viewer’s experience and athletes and coaches can use the provided information to refine their strategies and improve overall performance. The exhibition shows how the future of sports will be increasingly data-driven, interconnected, and immersive, transforming how the game is played and enjoyed.
Second Spectrum uses artificial intelligence for NBA teams to analyze the quality of shots. The system creates automated pre-game, post-game, team and player reports.
AI.io is an AI talent analysis platform that allows sport teams to reach, analyse, score, rate and scout players.
The Adidas miCoach Smart Ball is filled with Bluetooth sensors which give immediate feedback on the speed of the kick, the power and the curve.
Active Arcade is motion-based games platform that anyone can play. The games are reaction games, family-style mini games, action and adventure games and music rhythm games.
An Augmented Reality Contact Lens made by placing a micro-LED display inside a contact lens. Mojo Vision worked on the product funded by Adidas but stopped the project, citing that launching a radically new product with no predecessor was hard.
A game created by training an AI on over 400 sports with the aim of creating a new and original sport. Rugby, soccer, with a little football, and some field hockey, combined into one sport, and you get Speedgate.
Additive Manufacturing
Personalisation
Additive manufacturing, especially 3D printing, has made highly customized and performance-enhancing equipment possible. Athletes can now have gear tailored precisely to their body measurements and specific needs, improving comfort and efficiency.
Materials and printing technology advancements allow for producing lightweight yet durable items, reducing the risk of injury and enhancing overall performance. The ability to rapidly prototype and iterate designs means that innovations can be tested and implemented much faster than traditional manufacturing methods.
Left, Speedflex Precision diamond helmet liner, Ridel Oechsler
Right, Airless Gen1 Basketball prototype, 3D printed rubber, by Wilson
Prosthetics
Mobility enhancement
Innovative and adaptive prosthetics in sports have enabled athletes with disabilities to compete at the elite level, increasing access, empowering athletes and fostering inclusivity. With the advancements of AI in prosthetics, para-athletes can outperform regular athletes, and these prosthetics potentially blur the line between assistive technology and human enhancement.
Progress in 3D bioprinting, the mixture of bio-inks with living cells, has pushed the manufacturing of prosthetics, cartilage implants, and artificial joints to new levels. AI systems can help prosthetics mimic and enhance natural limb movements by learning from the user's neural signals, gait patterns, and environment. This could allow para-athletes to achieve more natural and optimized movements.
Bioprinted Knee Cartilage Implant by Cellink
Moto Knee and Versa Foot Action Sports Leg and Foot Prosthesis by BioDapt, Inc.
Johannes Floors at the Ottobock Talent Days
Men and Machine
Synergy
Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology allows humans to control machines directly with their thoughts, as demonstrated in the Zurich Cybathlon drone races. In these competitions, participants use BCI to navigate drones with remarkable precision, showcasing the potential of human-machine synergy.
Robots, leveraging advanced AI and machine learning, are beginning to outperform humans in various tasks, from complex calculations to physical endurance. This evolving dynamic raises possibilities and challenges in the world of sports.
Brain-computer Interface Headset by Nautilus Research
“Match, Design & Sport – A Story Looking to the Future’ is on view until 11 August 2024
Musée du Luxembourg
19 Rue de Vaugirard
75006 Paris
Atlas robot by Boston Dynamics