Case Study: British Skeleton Bobsledder achieves improved aerodynamics with 3D Systems' Geomagic 3D scanning

British Skeleton Bobsledder Uses Geomagic 3D Scanning Software to Improve Aerodynamics

3D Systems partner Geomagic worked with Sports Engineering @ CSES and Pro RACE to help British skeleton champion Kristan Bromley reduce drag ahead of the 2006 Turin Olympics. The challenge was to capture the highly athlete-specific geometry of Bromley on his sled and accurately model the complex airflow interactions that can cost precious tenths of a second in a sport where small aerodynamic gains matter.

The team scanned the sled and rider (ModelMaker X70 and FARO Golden Arm), cleaned and converted the five-million-point cloud in Geomagic Wrap to high-quality NURBS/IGES geometry, then ran CFD in GAMBIT/FLUENT and visualized results in EnSight. This workflow produced precise aerodynamic analyses, revealed pressure and flow issues, and generated clear images and animations for design changes and stakeholder briefings—enabling targeted, data-driven improvements to sled and rider setup.

British Skeleton Bobsledder

John Hart

Sports Engineering