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(Wolfville, NS) - A
unique skating simulator, developed by Acadia University faculty and
students, has been purchased by an NHL franchise for off-ice
training and testing. The SkateSIM® is a training device designed to
help athletes achieve increased skating acceleration and performance
on the ice.
According to Dr.
Jonathon Fowles, one of the developers and a professor at Acadia’s
School of Recreation Management and Kinesiology, the SkateSIM® has
been shown to improve skating performance by up to five per cent in
elite-developmental athletes.
“Through our previous
research, we’ve shown the SkateSIM® to be very effective at
increasing an elite-developmental athlete’s performance on the ice;
although we felt that the SkateSIM® would produce similar results at
the NHL level, we needed evidence to demonstrate that it would
work,” says Dr. Fowles. “I’m very happy that this NHL team has shown
interest in the SkateSIM®. This has been a valuable opportunity for
us to gather necessary research evidence, and also an opportunity
for the NHL team to improve the performance of its players.”
A small increase, even
by milliseconds, in skating performance achieved through training
using the SkateSIM®, can give a player and a team a competitive
edge, especially in the NHL where skating performance is the most
important quality of successful players. The SkateSIM® replicates
the body angles involved in skating, and gives the ability to
increase resistance as the athlete progresses in training. Both
features mean that the athlete can increase his or her power without
altering skill, so more of the training benefit is transferred to
actual performance.
Dr. Fowles and the
other Acadia inventors worked closely with Acadia’s Office of
Technology Transfer and Innovation (OTTI) to commercialize the
SkateSIM®. According to OTTI Director Leigh Huestis, the success of
the SkateSIM® is a direct result of the vision and commitment of Dr.
Fowles and the other key inventors.
“University research
is critical to innovation in Canada, although it can be a long road
to successful commercialization,” says Huestis. “This process is
made easier by inventors like Dr. Fowles who truly believe in the
importance of research and getting university inventions to market.”
Since its inception in
1998, the SkateSIM® has undergone several modifications. The concept
of an off-ice skating simulator was originated by Dr. Gary Ness,
Director of the School of Recreation Management and Kinesiology at
Acadia University. The SkateSIM® idea was further developed by
student Amy Simson, and then by Dr. Fowles and former student Matt
Price. Dr. Fowles and Price refined the SkateSIM® to optimize its
training benefits and to make the design and use of the device
marketable to training facilities around the world.
Acadia University, in
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, has long been recognized as one of Canada’s
premier undergraduate institutions. With its nationally and
internationally recognized research initiatives, small class sizes
and technology-rich teaching and learning environment, Acadia offers
students an experience that includes academic achievement combined
with personal growth and development. For more information about
Acadia, visit our website at
www.acadiau.ca.
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