Adaptive sports implement

A sports implement worn or held by a user and subject to contact and vibration, such implement comprising

• a unitary sports body, said sports body having an extent and including a contact surface which is subject in use to contact stimulation such that the body deforms and gives rise to a distribution of strain energy in said body including a local region of strain, wherein the distribution varies in use
• an electroactive assembly including a piezoelectric strain element for transducing electrical energy and mechanical strain energy, said electroactive assembly being integrated by a strain coupling to said body in said region of strain for receiving strain energy therefrom, and
• a circuit connected to said assembly for directing electrical energy via said assembly to control strain in the piezoelectric element so as to damp vibrational response of said body to said contact stimulation in an amount effective to enhance performance of the sports implement, and further comprising an LED indicator placed across said electroactive assembly so that the LED is illuminated by the strain element to directly show transducing of mechanical strain energy to electrical energy by said electroactive assembly.

A ski having an elongated body with a top surface and a smooth flat running surface opposed thereto, the running surface extending from front to rear thereof, a mounting portion at a region of the top surface, and a damper attached to said body wherein the damper includes

• an assembly including at least one piezoelectric plate, said assembly being integrated into said elongated body such that the strain is effectively coupled between said body and a face of said plate,
• a sensor for sensing strain in the ski, the sensor being affixed to said ski proximate to said assembly at a position without nodal lines between said sensor and said assembly, and
• a circuit operative to control strain in said assembly and damp vibration of the ski in use.

A ski comprising

• a ski body, said ski body having a vibrational resonant mode
• an assembly of at least one sheet of piezoceramic material coupled over a region of the ski body to partition strain energy therewith so as to generate electrical charge in accordance with changing strain in the ski body, and
• a shunt placed across said assembly to dissipate said electrical charge and effectively damp vibration of said resonant mode.