A company called Feldspar, as we learn from Athletics Weekly, is developing a smart track for running.
Currently in prototype, the track has three novel aspects: it purports to improve on present-day surfaces in energy transfer and conversion; it is embedded with sensors and surrounded by cameras, which feed data into an AI; and it promises to deliver its data in real-time for the benefit of coaches, athletes and spectators. In other words, it is a tool for both training and entertainment.
Feldspar says that, according to its own modeling, the track converts “more of a runner’s energy from vertical to horizontal,” increasing his speed, and “has the potential to provide” more energy return than “other commercially available sports flooring used in premier athletic competitions today.”
The company calls its product the first advance in track-and-field running in “nearly 60 years,” in a probable reference to the Olympics’ decision to switch from cinder to synthetic surfaces, notably polyurethane, as of the 1968 Games, in Mexico City. The company’s founder and CEO, Alvina Chen, who herself used to compete in the 60 and 100 meters, says that the Olympics are indeed in the company’s sights.
Feldspar has scheduled “real-time testing” for later this year and hopes to begin production in 2025. As Athletics Weekly quotes the company, early models will likely be “modular and lightweight,” but there are plans for a full, 400-meter loop. According to the company, the first customers will probably be fields in the UAE, UK or US that host international meets.
