The London Olympics is three years away. At this stage, most of the attention is on construction (including this rhino’s scrotum of a building). Meanwhile, Britain’s wannabe medallists are training intensely for Olympic glory. But there is a third legion hard at work for 2012: Britain’s scientists, technologists and home-based tinkerers.

I chanced across this article in the Times that highlights the ever-more sophisticated ways of shaving a few milliseconds off an athlete’s time. Apparently, Team GB lead the world in tech-enhanced coaching. One of the most exciting developments is the e-AR sensor developed at Imperial College. I remember seeing a prototype at the Royal Society Summer Science Festival a couple of years back. The e-AR is worn behind the ear, much like a Bluetooth headset, and provides real-time information on an athlete’s performance. Using the device, a coach can monitor an athlete’s motion, posture and acceleration. This reveals tiny flaws in technique, allowing their correction. Here’s a video from the Beeb.

Other developments in the works include radar feedback for archers and javelin throwers, and a ‘judo robot’. Alas, the latter is not some unarmed version of Robocop, but another training device that tracks the movement and power in a judo throw.

Best of all, we can help. UK Sport have set up an initiative called Ideas 4 Innovation. They offer rewards for good innovations that lead to sporting success. There’s a New Researchers Award, aimed at final year students, and a Garage Innovators Award to discover amateur inventors. No response yet on the suggestion of mechanical trousers to enhance running speed. Speaking of which, you can get some inspiration by visiting the Wallace and Gromit exhibition at the Science Museum.