For thousands of years, people around the world have participated in similar activities to hula hooping, but the physics behind maintaining a perfect spin has remained a mystery. Researchers at NYU’s Applied Mathematics Laboratory used a specially designed robot to investigate this phenomenon and discovered that body shape plays a crucial role.
The team created 3D-printed models of different shapes and sizes and launched six-inch wide hoops onto them while recording high-speed video. They found that any body shape model could get a hoop going, but maintaining the spin for an extended period required a curvier body with sloping hips to push the hoop and a sufficient waist to counter gravity’s pull.
The results suggest that people come in different body types, some of which are naturally better suited for hula hooping. This insight could not only improve our understanding of the activity but also inspire engineering projects, particularly in robotics used in industrial processing and manufacturing.
Source: https://www.popsci.com/science/hula-hoop-body-type