Research & Enterprise Bath researcher helps reduce the injuries of army recruits


by more than 50% Dr James Bilzon’s collaboration with Wiltshire’s Army Recruiting and Training Division has helped reduce the injuries of army recruits by more than 50 per cent.


Enterprise


n Our Innovation Centre provides practical support and expertise to local technology enterprises and to staff and students who wish to launch new businesses


n In 2008/09 we made over £1.4 million from the provision of academic consultancy and licensing of technologies


n Bath Ventures identifies and develops the University’s commercial prospects and generates income from consultancy, licensing, and through equity realisation from new spin-out businesses


His research found that women recruits had around nine times greater risk of severe musculoskeletal injury than men. By introducing single sex platoons and improving training techniques the rate of injury in female recruits was reduced by three quarters. Adapting the training programme of army recruits helped reduce the injury rates by more than 50 per cent.


Dr Bilzon explained: “Previously there were only a few women training in a platoon with around 40-50 men and the intensity of the training put unnecessary amounts of physical and physiological strain on them.


“By introducing the female-only platoons, the training could be made more progressive for longer term adaptations. The lower intensity training brought female trainees up to the same operational fitness standard as their male counterparts, but reduced the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries.”


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Our entrepreneurial students enjoy business success


Examples include Chris Hannaway and Will Hammersley (pictured right) of Arctic Farm frozen yoghurt, and Dominic Povey and Jason Malone of Bath Soup Company.


www.arcticfarm.co.uk www.bathsoupcompany.co.uk


Students to build human-


powered flying machine Final year aerospace engineering students at the University of Bath are following in the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci, designing and building a human-powered aircraft as part of their degree.


The project was started by Gareth Evans from Airbus, who designed the frame for a human-powered plane but was unable to finish it due to lack of resources and space. He donated it to the University so that engineering students could complete it.


Last year, final year aerospace engineering students Dan Scarfe and Jon Cherry took on the challenge and designed and built wings for the plane using their knowledge of previous human aviation.


John Cherry and Dan Scarfe work on the framework of the aircraft


This year, a new group of students will build on this design to complete the plane and test it out to see if it flies.


Jon Cherry said: “I found the project really stimulating because it brought together a lot of the theoretical content of the aerospace course and applied it to an intriguing practical problem.”


Dan Scarfe added: “The project was hugely rewarding. The knowledge that our work will also inspire further years and help them develop their degrees is highly satisfying.”


Dr James Cunningham, Reader in Mechanical Engineering and supervisor of the project said: “This project represents a real challenge for our students, as it combines their knowledge of structures and aerodynamics to design and build a pedal powered lightweight aircraft.”


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