Welcome to the Tech Race.
In archery, a deviation of 1mm in a 70m shot
can be crucial to succeeding.
A bow and arrow is no longer a rudimentary weapon,
rather a combination of extremely precise
cutting-edge equipment.
(HIGH TECH ARCHERY)
The latest developments in technology
allow archers to be more precise in their aim.
Syntactic foam for bow limbs allows for an increase
in torsional stability and accuracy.
The polycarbonate parts in the windage means less weight
and its ultra-thin profile minimises wind drift.
High-performance fibre
is also used for recurve sight pins.
An arrow travels at 60m per second
and improvements in technology
can help it reach the bull's-eye
with more accuracy.
This can be the difference
between going for gold or going home.
(JAPAN)
(YAMANASHI)
In Yamanashi, near Tokyo, we discover the secrets
of one of the world's leading bow manufacturers
and how this gear has evolved over time.
We started out with wooden bows
with natural fibre strings
and not much else.
The materials have developed a great deal over time.
Advances in technology
and modern construction materials for bows
include laminated wood, fibreglass, metals
and carbon-fibre components
that add extra velocity and precision.
Strings also use high-tech materials
such as Spectra and Dyneema -
these are amongst the most popular
due to being nearly impervious to solvents,
environmental conditions and moisture.
Another key part is the sight.
In our company, we develop sights or devices
to aim at the target. A characteristic of our sights
is their lightness,
causing less fatigue in the player.
(13 OUT OF 24 MEDALLISTS IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES RIO 2016
USED THESE HIGH TECH SIGHTS)
A 3D competition sight, often called a target sight,
is designed for use in competition,
arguably the most accurate sights available -
essentially a moveable pin
with a sophisticated system of windage
and elevation click-adjustments.
Before archery became a sport, it was mainly a hunting method.
Archery first appeared
in the Olympic Games Paris 1900,
to then be retired after London 1908
and reinstated as a permanent fixture
in Munich 1972.
I think, if Robin Hood were to see this bow
with all that gear attached,
he would probably take them off
and say he would hit the target
with his own talent.
All these advancements in technology
have led to more reliable, durable and precise gear
that allows archers to be more accurate in their shots.
Top-level competitors can pull back their bows
and fire arrows at more than 320km/h.
Along with high-quality and high-precision archery gear,
the athlete's mental ability
is just as important, since they must repeat
the same movements every time they shoot
in order to hit the target.
For the competition,
it is very important
to go in with the same mental disposition.
We need to be stable
and that is why it is very important
to have the mental strength
to be able to control yourself.
In archery a deviation of one millimetre
in a distance of 70 metres
will be a difference of several centimetres
for the arrow.
The weight of the equipment
is also very important.
Archers tune the weight of the arch
to their own needs
as it can have a big impact on precision.
Everything must be tuned to perfection.
I do think
that the advancements in material science
will continue and they will be reflected
in archery gear, to make our gear
more efficient and more precise.
To stay ahead of the curve,
engineers continue aiming to design the perfect bow,
leaving archers to focus on technique
and their nerves.
(THE TECH RACE)