Having a talent for hula hooping might have more to do with your body shape than your technique, according to a new study that also links these findings to potential innovations in robotics and energy science.
Researchers at New York University (NYU) conducted tests using robotic hoops with simple shapes for the bodies, analyzing how differences in the shape and movements of the robots affected the physics of the spinning hoop.
“We were particularly interested in the types of movements and body shapes that could hold the hoop in place and the physical demands and restrictions involved.” said mathematician Leif Ristroph of NYU.
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The shape of the hula-hoop robot’s cross-section (circle or ellipse) and the robot’s gyrating motion did not influence the hula hoop – but did impact whether the hoop remained in height longer, This is the shape of the robot. used.
The most successful robot shapes were those that combined angled “hips” to push the hoop up and a narrow “waist” to hold the hoop in place. pear shape works well, for example, while a bulb shape doesn’t work at all.
“People have many different body types – some have these tilt and curvature characteristics at the hips and waist and some don’t.” said Ristroph.
“Our results could explain why some people are natural players and others seem to have to work very hard.”
Researchers have also studied how hula hooping began. As anyone who has tried this knows, throwing speed is crucial: if it’s too slow, or combined with too slow a gyrating motion, the hoop will simply fall over.
The team produced mathematical models to explain the observed movements and to extend the results to other types of movements. Models could be useful in any scenario where objects are moved and controlled without being grasped.
For example, moving robots into position through movement and harnessing vibration energy in mechanical systems are two areas where the physics of optimal hula hooping could inform future research.
What we can say for now is that you can probably attribute a lot of your ability to hula-hoop to your body shape – and that too. seemingly simple movements and activities can reveal a host of fascinating science if you look closely.
“We were surprised that such a popular, fun and healthy activity as hula hooping was not understood, even at a basic physical level,” said Ristroph. “As we progressed in the research, we realized that the mathematics and physics involved are very subtle.”
The research was published in PNAS.