Rowing is a water sport which requires athletes to perform hundreds of oar pulls and rotations within minutes which often result in palm blisters, calluses, etc. as well as wrist/forearm injury. These problems result in significant discomfort to the athletes and may potentially even lead to long-term injuries or serious infections, particularly if rower is diabetic. A novel technology is being proposed to incorporate within the oars features which permit better and more effective grip which should result in better stress distribution hence maximising rowing performance in a safe pain-free manner.
The project is a collaboration between the University of Malta and Action Frame Ltd. and brings together experts from various disciplines and departments. Key researchers who worked on the project include Professor Joseph N Grima, Professor Daphne Attard, James N. Grima-Cornish, Dr Roberto Caruana Gauci and Dr Michelle Vella Wood from the Metamaterials Unit of the Faculty of Science, Professor Cynthia Formosa and Professor Alfred Gatt from the Department of Podiatry of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Andrew Albanozzi and Paul Albanozzi from Action Frame Ltd. The project also had input from various international coaches, elite rowers and biomechanics experts including Dr Dario Carasola, Dott. Giovanni Ficarra, and Professor Nachiappan Chockalingam.