Researchers uncover aerodynamics of the best attributes of the common jump rope
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the cool things about science is, no matter where you are, it’s all around you, and sometimes all that’s needed is for someone to open their eyes to something that has always just been there. Take jumping rope for example. Jeffrey Aristoff and Howard Stone found themselves wondering one day if the mechanics of the whole operation had ever been studied and worked out. What went on with the rope and what traits made for faster or slower jumping, for example. Last year the two set up a robotic jump rope and filmed the whole process and found that in spite of how things might look to the naked eye, the rope bends out of the plane. Now, a year later, the two have done some more research on the subject and have published their results in Proceedings of the Royal Society A.