The Airshield is an electric go-kart driven windscreen that helps runners train by enabling them to go even faster without air resistance, according to researchers at ETH Zurich.
Riding on bicycle wheels, the big acrylic windshield is pulled by an electric go-kart that use sensors to track the runner’s whereabouts. By accelerating the go-kart as the runner increases speed, those sensors assist maintain the windscreen in the ideal position.
The accelerator pedal is controlled by the computer, and the go-kart operator’s only concentration is on steering inputs.
Given that these Olympic competitors won’t have the advantage of chasing a plastic bubble on competition day, it might seem like an odd method to train. However, overspeed training is a valid training technique that allows athletes to “achieve competition speeds during training that are otherwise only possible with an increased adrenaline level,” according to experts at ETH Zurich.
We’ve seen a lot of electric go-karts in the past, and the business has grown rapidly due to the widespread use of small, strong electric motors and electronic speed controllers. However, this is probably the first time a car like this has been utilized for this purpose.
The lack of emissions from an electric go-kart and the ability to precisely control its speed with digital inputs lend themselves nicely to such an application, though. Perhaps this type of training with electric go-kart-pulled windscreens will become more common in the future.