Sports Alive! an interactive exhibition developed by Science Alive!, provided a fun way for visitors to explore the science and technology behind popular sports.
Visitors ran, jumped, kicked, threw and raced through challenges from ten different sports, competing against friends and family. Challenges included cycling and rowing races, ball passing and throwing competitions, and tests of speed and accuracy.
Visitors could compare the kilojoules burned playing different sports, find out how the sports compared in developing stamina, speed, coordination and muscles, and test their reaction time and balancing skills.
Sports Alive! offered a stimulating environment where visitors were encouraged to get active, while learning about how science and technology can make a difference to their sporting performance. The exhibition was hugely popular with both children and adults and has since travelled to other venues in New Zealand.
Exploring the science and technology behind popular sports
Visitors compete in sporting challenges with family and friends to test their sporting skills, while discovering the physics, biology and technologies behind the sports. Through interactive exhibits, Sports Alive! makes learning about the scientific principles behind sport fun, interesting and entertaining (plus a little exhausting!).
Sports Alive! is designed and constructed for touring.
Backdrops and booths are easy to set up and pack down, and fabricated from strong, lightweight materials. Exhibition graphics feature bright energetic colours and images, and contain useful, interesting information for visitors. The exhibition environment uses big screen monitors, sports equipment, state-of-the-art simulators and speed radar. Ball exhibits are contained within safety nets.
to show the science and technology behind the sports
to provide a stimulating environment where visitors are encouraged to get active
to promote participation in sport through activities and sports organisation involvement
to create fun, challenging learning experience for all ages.
Like sport, everyone! Families, friends, students, young and old. Through a range of popular sports – cricket, netball, basketball, rugby, rowing, golf, cycling, football – the exhibition has wide appeal. For schools and education groups, Sports Alive! provides an informative interactive educational experience.
Sports Alive! consists of eight stations based around popular sports and is supported by additional exhibits.
a physical activity for visitors to test their performance and compete against others
graphics panels with user instructions and a science or technology concept behind the exhibit
challenge cards for visitors to complete.
Ball Throw Throw the ball at the target and test your speed and accuracy. How fast can you throw a ball? The speed of the throw is measured by speed radar and displayed on a monitor. Find out how to throw fast and accurately. Learn about radar guns and the Doppler Effect.
Basketball Compete in a free throw shoot out. Is your shot ‘soft’ or a ‘brick’? Who has the shooter’s touch? Find out how to successfully shoot a free throw using backspin and forces. Learn about muscle memory and visualisation.
Cycling Compete against a friend in a race to the finish line. Who has the legs to win the leader’s yellow jersey? The exhibit uses high tech cycling trainers and visitors monitor their progress on the screen. What happens when the wind speed increases? Find out about aerodynamic drag and streamlining.
Football Challenge a friend to a penalty shootout. Who has the accuracy, speed and power to score a goal? The speed of the kick is measured by radar. Find out about momentum and sports.
Golf Compete in a putting contest. Try different clubs. How do they affect your performance. Will you hit a hole in one? Find out how to hole the ball and learn about golf clubs and competitive advantage in sport.
Netball Test your goal shooting skills. Are you a sharp shooter? Find out about projectiles and trajectories in sport.
Rowing Compete against a friend in a rowing race. Test your rowing technique and stamina. Visitors race against each other in a simulated race using rowing ergometers and can watch their progress in the race on the monitor.
Rugby Pass the ball through the target. How does the shape of the ball affect your throw?
Reaction Time How fast are you? Hit the corresponding coloured light and see your time displayed. Who has the fastest reaction time?
Nutrition Wheel How many kilojoules in your favourite foods? How many kilojoules do you burn playing your favourite sport? Turn the wheel to find out.
Balance Test How good is your balance? Stand on the balancing board and watch the timer. Find out how your eyes, ears, brain and muscles work together to keep you balanced.
Horizontal and Vertical Jump How much force is in your jump and landing? Jump onto and off the platforms to compare the force of jumping vs landing. A graph on the monitor shows the force of your jump in Newtons. How far can you jump horizontally? How much force is in your take off compared with your landing? Find out about ground reaction forces and how athletes reduce the effects of impact.
Sprint Find out if your sport is good for developing stamina, speed, coordination and muscles. Try another sport. How does it compare?
Compare Sports When the light turns green, sprint as fast as you can to the end. Your time is displayed on the readout.
For the advancement of scientific and technical objectives in Canterbury & Westland, New Zealand.