RoboCOP?

RoboCOP?

The rationale for the Code of Points scoring system is that it brings a certain amount of needed objectivity into this subjectively judged sport. In many sports technology can take the guess work out of judging altogether, as for instance in calling balls and strikes in baseball or deciding who won a swimming race. Even in figure skating they are planning to use instant replays to evaluate cheated jumps, etc.

It seems like it would be easy to wire up a skater's costume so as automatically to record things like speed of spins, centering of spins, height of jumps, speed and ice coverage. Maybe even "lean," how long you stay on the outside edge of your Flutz before switching over, the angle of your legs in your spiral (amplitude), how low you go in your sit spin -- all of these things can be quantified and measured scientifically, thus taking the "judging" out of judging. There would still be a role for judges to play in evaluating musical interpretation, the flow of the connecting elements, how pretty is your costume, and the "whole-package-ness" of your performance. But at least there would be something to go on to justify the scores.

Is this a good idea?

Mathman

Re: RoboCOP?

It might be a good idea, but I somehow think the skaters themselves wouldn't go for it. "Tradition," doncha know? We have the technology to call ball placement in both tennis and baseball, so it's very telling about the human condition that people still perform these jobs and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Also, there are the questions of money and practicality. Having sensors on a costume would be an interesting idea, but someone would have to pay for it. Who would that be? Each federation? Yes, the technology exists, but I believe the software is very complex.

Then the sensors would need to be discreetly sewn into costumes (for no skater would want something foreign like that on the outside of his or her costume, unless it's reeeeeeeallly tiny). This might present practical problems if the costume is lost, needs repair, or the skater or coach even decides two days before the competition that they don't like the costume and want another.

That's all I can think of for now.

And RoboCop was an okay flick.

Re: RoboCOP?

No.


Ladskater

Re: RoboCOP?

Gosh Mathman - What would we call this new sport?

RoboSkate

:rollin:

Re: RoboCOP?

Yes, and we could do away with humans altogether and have robots competing. I bet they could spin really fast!

MM

Re: RoboCOP?

Droids On Ice.

"Go, R2D2, go!"

Re: RoboCOP?

Droids on Ice:rollin:

Has anybody seen the movie "Strange Brew" with those two guys from SNL about 15 years ago who did the Canadian beer drinking characters? At one point in the movie, they have hockey teams that are supposed to be like the robot MPs in the original "Star Wars," the ones in the white plastic armor and helmets. Of course the computer program keeps screwing up and the robot hockey guys just go nuts on the ice. It's hard to describe. You have to see it.

Anyway, that's what I envision RoboCOP to look like. All kinds of white plastic armor with sensors attached. At least it wouldn't matter if you crashed into the boards

Seriously, I bet in 20 years the technology to do such a thing will be available. But as someone said, "Tradition!" They've had hinged skate boots for years that will make jumping easier on the body and apparently reduce injuries, but will any governing body even try them in tests? Of course not!

So, neato idea, MMan. In 50 years when they finally try it and I'm in some dive nursing home at age 97 I'll say, "Mathman thought of that back in '03." And the aides will say, "Shut up, Rgirl. You're hallucinating again. And drooling."
Rgirl
BTW, the first "Robocop" with Peter Weller was a GREAT movie. It had classic tragic dimensions. The other ones after that were awful and Peter Weller was right to say, "Screw you. These scripts suck."

Re: RoboCOP?

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>They've had hinged skate boots for years that will make jumping easier on the body and apparently reduce injuries, but will any governing body even try them in tests? Of course not![/quote]I have wondered about that, too. I am sure that the ISU, the governing body for both figure skating and speed skating, must have conducted a lot of tests before sanctioning the hinged boot for speed skating. As I understand it, the point of the hinged boot goes something like this. What the athlete actually skates on is a little film of water that is created by friction between the blade and the ice. With a regular fixed blade, with every stroke you lift the blade from the ice, then put it back down and the melting process must begin again.

With the hinged boot, the boot itself raises with each stroke, but the blade stays on the ice, thus making greater continuous speed possible. Something like that.

The first time that I saw the hinged boot used was at the 1998 Olympics. In the early heats, every skater who took the ice set a new world record. This stood for about two minutes until the next guy skated. So I guess the hinged boot was a success in that sport.

It is hard for me to believe that no one has bothered to check this out for figure skating moves, and I bet somebody has. (Michael Weiss, where are you? :lol: ) Maybe it is harder to control the landing of a jump. The blade would hit first, then a split second later the heel of the boot would hit the top of the blade. Also, it might be harder to control fast and intricate changes of edges in footwork sequences.

In order to be effective in preventing hip injuries, it seems like it would have to be more than just hinged. It would need to have either some resistance in the hinge itself or else a little spring somewhere to act as a shock absorber. In fact, if the spring were stiff enough to cushion your landing coming down, it could equally be rigged to aid your take-off going up! ("Tonight's performance, I felt really solid. In the warm-up I felt calm, very confident and <strong>springy.</strong>" -- Michelle Kwan, about her short program at Worlds.) RoboSkating indeed!

Mathman