Description
Title of talk- Metamaterials for sports applications
Summary of the talk
The talk with begin with a broad overview of Sports Engineering. Topics will include inclusivity, sustainability, and innovation in sporting goods. Sports covered in the talk will include rugby, snowboarding, running, football, and tennis. The talk will then introduce the topic of metamaterials, with a focus on sporting goods. The metamaterials discussed will include those with a Poisson’s ratio (auxetic), those with a negative stiffness and those that are adaptive. The talk will conclude by suggesting future opportunities for metamaterials in sport.
Speaker - Dr Tom Allen, Manchester Metropolitan University
Venue: Kennaway House, Sidmouth Science Festival -Ada Lovelace Day, EX10 8NG.
Date:14th Oct. 2025
Time:15:00hrs - 16:00hrs.
Entry £2.50 on the door, including hot drink.
Biographical info
Dr Tom Allen is a Reader in Mechanical Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University. He specialises in Sports Engineering, particularly sports safety. Tom is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He holds various external positions, including Editor-in-Chief of the journal of the International Sports Engineering Association, Chair of the IMechE Sports Engineering group, Vice-President of the International Society for Snowsports Safety and Deputy-Chair of the British Standards Institution committee Protective Equipment for Sports Players. Tom advocates inclusivity in sport and recently co-authored an IMechE policy report on sports engineering, outlining recommendations for the development of inclusive and sustainable sports technology. His media appearances span TV, radio, online and print, including the BBC, Sky News, the Guardian, and the Telegraph.