A SWIMSUIT modelled after the skin of a shark may lead to faster swimmers. The project under the Nanyang Research Programme involves simple science but is practical for competitive sports.

The project which ran from March till November last year also involved two students, Wang Meng Cheng of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Tejas Potdar of Saint Andrews Junior College, both 18.

A swimwear manufacturer suggested the idea to Assistant Professor Huang Weimin, who is one of the project supervisors.

“These patterns on the swimsuits will enhance athletes’ performance and also protect manufacturing secrets,” said Prof Huang, referring to the tiny bumps that form on the surface of the suits only when in contact with water.

The bumps on the swimsuits resemble that of shark’s skins, and divert water along the body, reducing friction in the process.

The students made use of hydrogel beads commonly found in the market to demonstrate their project. They sewed them in between two pieces of cloth to show tiny bumps that appear when they swell in water.

Fondly called “water babies” by many, these beads can grow up to 100 times their size when submerged in water. They shrink back to normal in the absence of water, hence succeeding in making a “reversible” pattern on swimsuits.

While the idea is feasible, the team has to find a material that reacts quick enough to dry or wet conditions.

Potdar was motivated to take part in this research because he used to swim competitively and “saw the potential the project had in helping swimmers increase their speed in water.”

Wang said: “Our project is extremely pragmatic and has the potential to be used in the real world.”

But the project was not always smooth-sailing.

The students said that one difficulty was finding a substance that displayed faster response than ordinary hydrogels. Also, they could not find suppliers who would cater to small orders.

Although nearing the end of their project, they have yet to present their idea to a swimwear manufacturer.

“It is achievable but the cost of manufacturing this kind of reversible swimsuits with protruding patterns will be very high, thus it will only be made for professional swimmers.

“Hopefully in the future someone will duplicate our project but with better materials,” said A/P Huang.