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As a Sports Engineer, I am interested in the effect of engineering and technology on sport, in terms of performance, participation and injury risk. I enjoying collaborating with researchers and working with sports brands and organisations.
I am the Editor in Chief of the journal Sports Engineering.
PhD in Sports Engineering
Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)
As Sports Engineers we aim to get the population more active, which is one of the UK government’s priority areas in order to improve public health. Engineers can help by ensuring sports equipment and clothing is well-designed and accessible to help beginners and novices. Injuries and safety can also cause a barrier, with a number of high profile injuries making it in to the news recently, including cricket, skiing and American football accidents.
Professional Design and Practice
Computational Mechanics
Computer Aided Engineering
MEng Group Project
Sports Materials
Elliott, N., Camera calibration and configuration for estimation of racket position in 3D, PhD July 2015.
Adams, C., Evaluating the performance of snowboard wrist protectors, PhD October 2018.
Gatt, I., Wrist injuries in boxing, part-time PhD commenced January 2014.
Duncan, O., Application of auxetic materials to sports equipment, PhD commenced September 2015.
Motlegelwa, S., Design and development of innovative sportswear for football players from Botswana, PhD commenced January 2016.
Newton-Mann, C., Finite Element Modelling of Snowboard Wrist Protectors, PhD commenced April 2016.
Shepherd, T., Finite element modelling of auxetic materials for sports applications, PhD commenced September 2016
Moroney, C., Design and development of sports apparel with auxetic materials, PhD commenced September 2016
Imam, A., Finite element model of padded clothing in Rugby, PhD commenced September 2017.
Leslie, G., Development of a wrist impact surrogate for sports applications, PhD commenced September 2017.
Ascenso, G., Markerless motion tracking of swimmers, PhD commenced September 2017.
Spurrier, S., Bio-inspired design of climbing shoes, PhD commenced January 2019.
External Examiner for BSc (hons) Sport Technology, Loughborough University
External Examiner for PhD students, at Loughborough University and University of Naples Federico II.
Tom’s research is in the field of Sports Engineering and he collaborates with a number of sports brands. He is the associate editor of Sports Engineering and was on the organising committee for the 10th conference on The Engineering of Sport.
He is an effective science communicator and enjoys promoting engineering to a range of audiences. Tom has delivered invited talks at the Royal Institution’s Faraday Lecture Theatre and the Danish Design Centre, and for a number of organisations, including the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the British Institute of Non-destructive Testing and ANSYS.
T. Allen, JE. Goff (2018). Resources for sports engineering education. Sports Engineering. 21(4), pp.245-253.
TB. Allen, R. Grant, M. Sullivan, L. Taraborrelli, S. Choppin, et al. J. Spurr, S. Haake. (2018). Recommendations for Measuring Tennis Racket Parameters. In: Proceedings ISEA 2018. Queensland, Australia, 26/3/2018.
N. Elliott, S. Choppin, S. Goodwill, T. Senior, J. Hart, et al. TB. Allen. (2017). Single view silhouette fitting techniques for estimating tennis racket position. Sports Engineering. 21(2), pp.137-147.
T. Allen, S. Choppin, D. Knudson (2016). A review of tennis racket performance parameters. Sports Engineering. 19(1), pp.1-11.
T. Allen, J. Shepherd, TAM. Hewage, T. Senior, L. Foster, et al. A. Alderson. (2015). Low‐kinetic energy impact response of auxetic and conventional open‐cell polyurethane foams. physica status solidi (b). 252(7), pp.1631-1639.
A. Shelley, K. Winwood, T. Allen, K. Horner (2022). Effectiveness of hard inserts in sports mouthguards: a systematic review. Br Dent J.
L. Taraborrelli, S. Choppin, S. Haake, S. Mohr, T. Allen (2021). Effect of materials and design on the bending stiffness of tennis rackets. European Journal of Physics. 42(6), pp.065005-065005.
T. Allen, S. Choppin, D. Knudson (2020). Correction to: A review of tennis racket performance parameters. Sports Engineering. 23(1),
T. Allen, B. Blocken, A. Drory, HG. Espinosa (2020). How to write a manuscript for Sports Engineering. Sports Engineering. 23(1),
T. Allen, R. Grant, S. Mohr, J. Shepherd (2020). Measuring behavior in sport and exercise. Sports Engineering. 23(1),
T. Allen, L. Foster, M. Strangwood, J. Webster (2019). Sports Materials Special Issue Editorial. Applied Sciences. 9(24), pp.5272-5272.
S. Maw, T. Allen (2018). Sports engineering education. Sports Engineering. 21(4), pp.243-243.
T. Allen, JE. Goff (2018). Resources for sports engineering education. Sports Engineering. 21(4), pp.245-253.
T. Allen, M. Pagan, R. Martin, O. Duncan Effect of Rest Periods on Mechanical Ageing of Running Shoes. The 13th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association.
G. Leslie, W. Wang, K. Winwood, C. Liauw, N. Hamilton, et al. T. Allen. Effect of Surrogate Surface Compliance on the Measured Stiffness of Snowboarding Wrist Protectors. The 13th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association.
O. Duncan, G. Naylor, JG. M, T. Allen, L. Foster, et al. J. Hart, A. Alderson. Plantar Pressure Distribution under Uniform and Gradient Foam during Running and Jumping. The 13th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association.
JE. Goff, T. Allen Use of Video for Teaching Sports Mechanics. The 13th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association.
T. Allen, Ø. Sandbakk, SJ. Lindinger (2017). Winter sports special issue. Sports Engineering. 20(4), pp.243-244.
T. Allen, T. Hewage, C. Newton-Mann, W. Wang, O. Duncan, et al. A. Alderson. (2017). Fabrication of Auxetic Foam Sheets for Sports Applications. physica status solidi (b). 254(12),
N. Elliott, S. Choppin, S. Goodwill, T. Senior, J. Hart, et al. TB. Allen. (2017). Single view silhouette fitting techniques for estimating tennis racket position. Sports Engineering. 21(2), pp.137-147.
T. Allen, S. Choppin, D. Knudson (2016). A review of tennis racket performance parameters. Sports Engineering. 19(1), pp.1-11.
T. Allen, J. Shepherd, TAM. Hewage, T. Senior, L. Foster, et al. A. Alderson. (2015). Low‐kinetic energy impact response of auxetic and conventional open‐cell polyurethane foams. physica status solidi (b). 252(7), pp.1631-1639.
A. Nicolaides, N. Elliott, J. Kelley, M. Pinaffo, T. Allen (2013). Effect of string bed pattern on ball spin generation from a tennis racket. Sports Engineering. 16(3), pp.181-188.
T. Allen, L. Foster, M. Carré, S. Choppin (2012). Characterising the impact performance of field hockey sticks. Sports Engineering. 15(4), pp.221-226.
S. Haake, T. Allen, A. Jones, J. Spurr, S. Goodwill (2012). Effect of inter-string friction on tennis ball rebound. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology. 226(7), pp.626-635.
T. Allen, J. Ibbitson, S. Haake (2012). Spin generation during an oblique impact of a compliant ball on a non-compliant surface. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. 226(2), pp.86-95.
S. Choppin, T. Allen (2012). Special issue on predictive modelling in sport. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. 226(2), pp.75-76.
N. Wiart, J. Kelley, D. James, T. Allen (2011). Effect of temperature on the dynamic properties of soccer balls. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. 225(4), pp.189-198.
T. Allen (2011). Sporting chance. Materials World. 19(6), pp.24-26.
TB. Allen, SJ. Haake, SR. Goodwill (2011). Effect of tennis racket parameters on a simulated groundstroke. J Sports Sci. 29(3), pp.311-325.
T. Allen, S. Haake, S. Goodwill (2010). Effect of friction on tennis ball impacts. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. 224(3), pp.229-236.
T. Allen, S. Haake, S. Goodwill (2009). Comparison of a finite element model of a tennis racket to experimental data. Sports Engineering. 12(2), pp.87-98.
T. Allen, J. Shepherd, J. Wood, D. Tyler, O. Duncan (2021). Wearables for disabled and extreme sports. In: Digital Health. Elsevier, pp.253-273.
T. Allen, S. Dixon, M. Dunn, D. Knudson (2018). Equipment and Technique Interactions on Risk of Overuse Injuries. In: Tennis Medicine: A Complete Guide to Evaluation, Treatment, and Rehabilitation.
D. Knudson, T. Allen, S. Choppin (2013). Routledge Handbook of Ergonomics in Sport and Exercise. Y. Hong. In: Routledge Handbook of Ergonomics in Sport and Exercise. Routledge, pp.423-439.
T. Allen, E. Goff (2020). Use of Video for Teaching Sports Mechanics.
T. Allen, O. Duncan, M. Pagan, R. Martin Effect of Rest Periods on Mechanical Ageing of Running Shoes.
G. Ascenso, C. Payton, T. Allen, M. Yap (2018). Non-invasive motion capture of swimmers. Manchester, 6/6/2018.
O. Duncan, TB. Allen, L. Foster, R. Gatt, J. Grima, et al. A. Alderson. (2018). Controlling Density and Modulus in Auxetic Foam Fabrications—Implications for Impact and Indentation Testing. In: Proceedings ISAE 2018. Queensland, Australia, 26/3/2018.
C. Newton-Mann, K. Winwood, H. Driscoll, N. Hamilton, TB. Allen (2018). Finite Element Model of an Impact on a Palmar Pad from a Snowboard Wrist Protector. In: Proceeding IASE 2018. Queensland, Australia, 26/3/2018.
C. Moroney, A. Alderson, TB. Allen, M. Sanami, P. Venkatraman (2018). The Application of Auxetic Material for Protective Sports Apparel. In: Proceedings of the 12th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association. Queensland, Australia, 26/3/2018.
TB. Allen, R. Grant, M. Sullivan, L. Taraborrelli, S. Choppin, et al. J. Spurr, S. Haake. (2018). Recommendations for Measuring Tennis Racket Parameters. In: Proceedings ISEA 2018. Queensland, Australia, 26/3/2018.
O. Duncan, L. Foster, T. Senior, T. Allen, A. Alderson (2016). A Comparison of Novel and Conventional Fabrication Methods for Auxetic Foams for Sports Safety Applications. In: Procedia Engineering. Delft, NETHERLANDS, 11/7/2016. pp.384-389.
C. Adams, D. James, T. Senior, T. Allen, N. Hamilton (2016). Development of a Method for Measuring Quasi-static Stiffness of Snowboard Wrist Protectors. In: Procedia Engineering. Delft, NETHERLANDS, 11/7/2016. pp.378-383.
S. Delaye, P. Streeter, E. Morales, P. Wood, T. Senior, et al. J. Hart, T. Allen. (2016). Modelling the Sound of a Golf Ball Impacting a Titanium Plate. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.354-359.
H. Driscoll, J. Hart, T. Allen (2016). Use of Image Based Sports Case Studies for Teaching Mechanics. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.884-889.
T. Allen, N. Martinello, D. Zampieri, T. Hewage, T. Senior, et al. L. Foster, A. Alderson. (2015). Auxetic Foams for Sport Safety Applications. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.104-109.
T. Allen, O. Fauteux-Brault, D. James, D. Curtis (2014). Finite Element Model of a Cricket Ball Impacting a Bat. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.521-526.
Y. Washida, N. Elliott, T. Allen (2014). Measurement of Main Strings Movement and its Effect on Tennis Ball Spin. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.557-562.
N. Elliott, S. Choppin, SR. Goodwill, T. Allen (2014). Markerless Tracking of Tennis Racket Motion Using a Camera. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.344-349.
A. Henderson, D. Lai, T. Allen (2014). A Modern Approach to Determine the Offside Law in International Football. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.138-143.
T. Allen, J. Gough, D. Koncan, D. James, E. Morales, et al. P. Wood. (2014). Modelling the Acoustics of a Golf Ball Impacting a Titanium Plate. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.587-592.
N. Elliott, S. Choppin, SR. Goodwill, T. Allen (2012). Image-based visual hull of a tennis racket. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.877-877.
T. Allen, A. Bowley, P. Wood, E. Henrikson, E. Morales, et al. D. James. (2012). Effect of temperature on golf ball dynamics. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.634-639.
D. James, D. Curtis, T. Allen, T. Rippin (2012). The validity of a rigid body model of a cricket ball-bat impact. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.682-687.
JH. Hart, T. Allen, M. Holroyd (2010). Downhill skateboard aerodynamics. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.2523-2528.
T. Allen, J. Hart, J. Spurr, S. Haake, S. Goodwill (2010). Validated dynamic analysis of real sports equipment using finite element; a case study using tennis rackets. In: Procedia Engineering. pp.3275-3280.
Organising committee for the 10th conference on The Engineering of Sport, and Measuring Behavior 2018.
Scientific committee for the 11th conference on The Engineering of Sport
Article reviewer for Materials; Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise; Sports Biomechanics; Sports Engineering; Journal of Sports Sciences; European Journal of Sports Sciences; International Journal of
Impact Engineering; Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P, Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology and Materials. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L, Journal of Materials: Design and Applications; Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control.
Finite element analysis
Material characterisation
Experimental mechanics
Sports injury prevention
Sports equipment design
Auxetic materials
Leimer, R., Robinson, T.K., Michel, F.I., Manz, G.R., Gordon, J.R., Allen, T., Harnisch, M. and Blinn, J., adidas International Marketing BV, 2012. Actively ventilated shoe. U.S. Patent 8,209,882.
Featured on the BBC discussing running shoes
Organizing committee for the 6th and 7th Winter Schools of the International Sports Engineering Association
Royal Academy of Engineering.
Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Sports Engineering Research, Sheffield Hallam University
Editor in Chief of the journal Sports Engineering.
Guest editor of Special Issues on Predictive Modelling in Sport in Proceedings of the IMechE Part P (2012), and Sports Materials in Applied Sciences (2019).
Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), and Board Member of the Biomedical Engineering Division.
Member of the International Sports Engineering Association
Board Member of the International Society for Snowsport Safety