IR camera gets to the foot of the problem

The new ClimaCool2 ventilation and cooling system is the latest technology in sports shoes from Adidas, and a ThermaCAM SC3000 thermal imaging camera played a pivotal role in proving its design.

Celebrated sportsmen like David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and many others have achieved some of their greatest successes with Adidas sport shoes on their feet.

To stay the preferred choice of these and many other athletes, Adidas is constantly seeking new materials and designs to maximise wearer-performance.

The new ClimaCool2 ventilation and cooling system is the latest technology to be introduced by Adidas.

And a Flir Systems ThermaCAM SC3000 thermal imaging camera has played a pivotal role in proving this evolving design.

When athletes run, their feet sweat.

Not only does this cause discomfort but it also prompts the development of blisters.

ClimaCool technology uses angled vents to force air through the shoe, its flow increasing proportionally with the intensity of the sporting activity.

In ClimaCool2, Adidas builds on this concept to convert an athlete's power into a direct performance benefit.

It provides a 360-degree ventilation system so that when the athlete is running at top speed, ClimaCool2 delivers up to 32% more cooling to the foot than traditional running shoes.

"We extensively used the ThermaCAM during the development of ClimaCool technology", explains Karsten Westphal, the Laboratory Manager responsible for research and testing.

Its prime function was to see which part of the foot got hottest while running.

This information allowed Adidas to develop the first ClimaCool shoe to remove heat from these areas.

Westphal adds: "Initially, we measured the temperature at several pre-determined spots on the shoes with temperature sensors.

Although this gave us some information on heat loss, it didn't give us the complete picture.

An infra-red camera was the ideal solution".

A key factor in Adidas' choice of the ThermaCAM SC3000 was its thermal sensitivity of 0.02 degrees that has allowed their scientists to see the smallest of temperature differences.

The high-resolution image of 320 x 420 pixel has also given Adidas the opportunity to measure the temperature at 76,800 individual measurement points.

The system produces images at a rate of 50Hz with very short integration times, allowing blur-free imaging and the real-time measurement of minute temperatures changes when the athlete is running at full speed.

This made it possible to see immediately how the shoe was reacting to the temperature differences in the foot over a period of time.

Extensive thermal analysis was made possible by the ThermaCAM Researcher software.

A further benefit was the ThermaCAM's production of crisp images that could be used for marketing purposes.

"We could not have designed the ClimaCool without the help of the ThermaCAM SC3000", Westphal continues.

"The images it produced provided us with information that was impossible to capture using sensors alone".

"Thanks to the ThermaCAM we have had one of the most successful product launches ever.

Infra-red has definitely proven itself with Adidas and we will certainly use it in future projects, whether for shoes or apparel.

The rapid and efficient removal of heat continues to be a key issue for athletes, particularly those performing in hot climates".

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