The World Cup is now well on its way and we have all chosen which team to support. Not many of us, however, may have given much thought to the technology and engineering that makes this most exciting world event possible.
The traditional engineering fields of structural, transportation, materials and project management are an essential element for such large-scale events to be held. Other not so traditional yet intriguing engineering fields are also involved.
The Brazuca
Sports engineering is a field that involves the design, development and testing of sports equipment. Central to the game is the ball. The ball used in this year’s World Cup is the Brazuca, which has been called a marvel of engineering. From the materials used to the ball’s construction and design, engineers have dedicated many hours to ensure that the highest levels of quality and satisfaction are met.
The World Cup ball is not impervious to controversy and criticism. Jabulani, the ball used at the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa, was widely criticised by many, including Italy’s Giampaolo Pazzini and Brazilian goalkeeper Julio César. Players described the Jabulani as a ‘supermarket ball’ that took weird and unexpected trajectories in the air, especially on windy days.
Engineers specialised in aerodynamics and fluid dynamics made use of the same tools used to design Formula 1 cars to study and improve the ball’s design. Before the ball was even prototyped, mechanical engineers were virtually simulating the effects of wind and distortion on its trajectory. This made the Brazuca a much better and more stable football.
Once the ball was manufactured, it underwent many different types of tests. Mechanical robots were built to replicate the precise forces and actions of football players shooting the ball or goalkeepers punching it away.
The tests were carried out at different temperatures and conditions, such as rainy and cold versus hot and humid. These tests were designed to replicate the conditions that could be encountered during the Brazilian World Cup.
Emmanuel Francalanza and Evan Dimech are engineers at the University of Malta’s Faculty of Engineering.