New technology for fencing judges

 

UAA's Community & Technical College reports that Health, Physical Education & Recreation adjunct instructor Wayne Johnson and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Jennifer McFerran Brock are working on a technology called Tactile (or Haptic) Sensing that will assist directors in making better scoring calls on fencing matches. Johnson, a fencing instructor, and Brock, a fencer, developed the wireless technology that Johnson says, "allows the officials to feel the touches as they are signaled by the machine." The device should also help to reduce fatigue and stress to the director as they experience a high demand for divided attention.

Johnson and Brock submitted the technology for a patent in November of 2010. Since then, they have received attention from the United States Fencing Association where they spoke at the Summer Nationals in July 2011.

Read the full report here.