Running to Avoid Injuries
Run3D Gait Technology Helps Athletes Avoid Injuries
As part of Innovate UK’s Success Stories series, we’re highlighting the achievements of Run3D. Initially a spin-out company from the University of Oxford, Run3D are a biomechanical engineering company whose focus is to create innovative technology to help athletes around the world prevent injuries.
Who are Run3D?
Specialising in 3D motion, Run3D have developed a high-tech gait analysis system. This looks at the way you’re running and highlights patterns which may lead to future injuries. This approach is highly effective in preventing both common and complex injuries while simultaneously improving performance.
No matter what type of athlete you are, running injuries are often a result of poor form or bad habits. With the help of Run3D, athletes and amateur runners can learn to combat this.
Funding from Innovate UK allowed the team to turn a dream into a reality and in 2016, after two years of intricate development, Run3D were able to launch one of the most pioneering biomechanical projects the running world has seen.
“We strive to help you optimize all contributing variable to improve your running” – Dr Jessica Bruce, Founder of Run3D.
How does Run3D work?
By using state of the art gait analysis and a detail oriented approach, Run3D can successfully identify the negative patterns in your running routine to uncover the root cause of recurring injuries. They can also offer advice to help boost your general running performance.
With the use of infrared cameras, their team of experts can accurately track every movement your body makes when running. This helps to identify and re-shape your personal running technique.
Run3D pinpoints any form or techniques which may be detrimental to your progress. They then work strategically to correct these. Through real time reporting and re-training they can then analyse your progress.
The company use the data they’ve collected to help athletes with:
- Exercise therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Footwear recommendations
- Gait retraining
- Injury prevention advice
- Physiotherapy
- Performance recommendations
- Progress monitoring
The Next Step for Run3D
Upon building a franchise of sports performance clinics, the team now operate in 6 UK locations. The next step for the company is to open this intuitive 3D technology up to the world of professional sport. This could be a real game changer which allows professional athletes to push their bodies to new limits.
The Run3D experts are now taking their findings and research to athletes and sport scientists around the world. With Innovate UK’s funding, the business have developed a prototype 3D gait analysis system which can now be used in sports clinics. This can be tailored to the requirements of different sports. The potential for this level of reporting and retraining is applicable to a wide range of athletes of all ages and sports.
“We know that the technology can benefit runners of all ages and all abilities” – Dr Jessica Bruce, Founder of Run3D.
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