In October 2020 I started working as the Project Manager for the SEPnet SME-DTN Collaborative PhD Studentship Scheme funded by Research England Development Fund.  I recall the University of Kent and Body Rocket presenting their proposal to support and fund a project that aimed to develop machine learning algorithms for real-time monitoring of aero dynamic drag, allowing cyclists to adjust their on-bike position dynamically for optimal performance.  At the time I joked that SEPnet’s SME-DTN could potentially be part of the 2024 Olympics! Well, many a true word spoken in jest! 

In 2022 SME-DTN PGR, Callum Barnes, a keen cyclist himself, started his PhD journey with UK-based company Body Rocket and the University of Kent.  He first looked at the impact of shuffle (how a cyclist moves in their saddle) on drag and power and developed his own camera – the ShuffleCam – which uses AI to determine where the rider is on the saddle.  

Callum hoped that this research would help make athletes faster and more efficient. He’s already seen this positive impact through his work with Body Rocket athletes such as Kristian Blummenfelt the current Olympic Triathlon World Champion. Since March Callum used some of the technologies he had been developing to help Kristian in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Kristian finished 11th in the mixed triathlon and 12th in the men’s triathlon for Norway.

This has been a successful research collaboration with the University of Kent. Body Rocket has achieved a world first by creating a device that allows direct measurement of a rider’s aerodynamic drag, isolating the rider from the bike by using sensors on the seat, stem post and pedals.  

As well as supporting Olympians, in the last two years Callum has been able to share his discoveries at leading international conferences ahead of world premier cycling events such as, the Tour de France.  Callum, you and your supervisor at the University of Kent, Stuart Gibson, deserve to don the “yellow jersey” as you head for the finishing line next year!