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Jul 28, 2012 7:00 PM   If Tokyo Tech's swimming android robot—awkwardly dubbed the Swumanoid—is any indication, our Olympic athletes don't have to worry about any cybernetic competition for at least a few more years. But for the time being, this robot is actually designed to help improve a human swimmer's performance and gear. Created using a 3D scanner to measure and digitize the body and motions of a competitive swimmer, the Swumanoid was built at half-scale to give researchers a way to measure the propulsive force of an athlete's stroke. The complex motions of a human's arm are replicated in the robot using 20 waterproof motors, but even though it seemingly has a mechanical advantage, in its current form the bot is actually about three times slower than the 100-meter freestyle world record time. But it's already learned the butterfly and backstroke, and can probably do a mean cannonball. [DigInfo TV] View the original article here This post was made using ...

Dana Vollmer ahead of the women's 100M Freestyle semifinal at the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials on June 29, 2012 in Omaha, Nebraska. By Shoshanna Rutemiller, Swimming World 24-year-old Dana Vollmer was half her current age when she made her first USA Olympic Trials appearance in 2000. Twelve years, and an Olympic Gold later, Vollmer is set to make her mark in the London Olympics. At her first Olympics in 2004, Vollmer was younger than the 17-year-old World Record her 4x200 freestyle relay team broke when they won Gold. Unfortunately, she failed to qualify for the following Olympics in 2008. "In 2008 I was such a nervous wreck," Vollmer told the media at Trials. "I got to enjoy [Trials] a lot more this time around. " It must have been enjoyable, considering she won the 100 butterfly and placed third in the 200 freestyle, behind Allison Schmitt and Missy Franklin, earning a spot on the women's 4x200 freestyle relay in London. Vollmer started her swimming caree...

Jimmy Feigen after swimming in the men's 50-meter freestyle preliminaries at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Saturday, June 30, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. By Shoshanna Rutemiller, Swimming World 22-year-old Jimmy Feigen, born September 26, 1989, in Hilo, Hawaii is set to represent Team USA at the London Olympics. Feigen was a 2008 graduate from Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas. As a member of the Churchill Chargers, under coach Al Marks, Feigen set High School National records in the 100 (43. 05) and 50 free (19.49). These accomplishments earned him Swimming World Magazine's 2008 High School Male Swimmer of the Year. "As far as scholastic sprinting goes, the argument might start and stop with one name: Jimmy Feigen," article writer John Lohn comments. Coming from a stellar High School career, Feigen went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin under coach Eddie Reese from 2008 to 2012. In his collegiate career, Feigen was a 24 time All-American...

Caitlin Leverenz swims in the women's 400-meter individual medley preliminaries at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Monday, June 25, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. By Shoshanna Rutemiller, Swimming World In 2008, Caitlin Leverenz barely missed the Olympic team when she placed third in the 200 breaststroke. In 2012, she certainly made sure it didn't happen again. Although Elizabeth Beisel took first in the 400IM, Leverenz captured second by a remarkable margin, leaving open water for the third-place finisher, who touched over four seconds behind. "I was ready to do this and ready to go," Leverenz said post-race. "I remember in 2008, I was in the lane next to Elizabeth and was telling her congratulations [for making the Olympics].... This year we were both telling each other congratulations." Following her Trials silver in the 400IM, Leverenz added another event to her Olympic line-up by finishing first in the 200IM. When asked about the way she handles meets with mu...

Natalie Coughlin during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 14, 2012 in Dallas,Texas. By Shoshanna Rutemiller, Swimming World 29-year-old Natalie Coughlin, born August 23, 1982, in Vallejo, California is a seasoned Olympic veteran. However, going into her third Olympics, Coughlin's Olympic role has changed. The most shocking change is that she won't be representing Team USA in any individual events. "I have just a relay on the first day, and then I'm done and there to support my teammates," Coughlin told reporters after a disappointing trials run in Omaha. Coughlin opted to add the 100 butterfly to her trials schedule for the first time, after a change in the normal trials events order placed the butterfly before the 100 backstroke. Whether or not this choice affected Coughlin's trials outcome is up for speculation. After failing to qualify for the Olympics in either the 100 butterfly or the 100 backstroke, Coughlin told reporters: "I'm not as dis...