Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 19 hours ago
What if there were a device that simulated the strike of an athlete’s cleat on a field of turfgrass to measure impact? Thanks to the University of Tennessee’s Distinguished Professor of Turfgrass Science and Management John Sorochan and Co-Director of the Center for Athletic Field Safety Kyley Dickson, now there is.
Their invention, the fLEX Device, uses sensors on a 3D-printed foot and ankle to measure energy that is transferred back to athletes with each step. It can simulate foot strikes for a range of athletes from a 35-pound youth league player to a 350-pound professional athlete.
Sorochan and his team are using the fLEX Device in developing turfgrass for FIFA World Cup 26 and plan to use it during the games to inform real-time field management decisions.
Learn more about the fLEX Device: https://www.utk.edu/turfgrass/research/
Footage from stadiums produced before the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
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Go Vols!
#utknoxville is on your favorite social media channels:
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/utknoxville
X: twitter.com/UTKnoxville
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/UTKnoxville
See what’s happening at https://www.utk.edu.
MusicBed Sync ID: MB01DEWDBFQ1GHH, MB01DEWDBFQ1GHH
What if there were a device that simulated the strike of an athlete’s cleat on a field of turfgrass to measure impact? Thanks to the University of Tennessee’s Distinguished Professor of Turfgrass Science and Management John Sorochan and Co-Director of the Center for Athletic Field Safety Kyley Dickson, now there is.
Their invention, the fLEX Device, uses sensors on a 3D-printed foot and ankle to measure energy that is transferred back to athletes with each step. It can simulate foot strikes for a range of athletes from a 35-pound youth league player to a 350-pound professional athlete.
Sorochan and his team are using the fLEX Device in developing turfgrass for FIFA World Cup 26 and plan to use it during the games to inform real-time field management decisions.
Learn more about the fLEX Device: https://www.utk.edu/turfgrass/research/
Footage from stadiums produced before the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
================
Go Vols!
#utknoxville is on your favorite social media channels:
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/utknoxville
X: twitter.com/UTKnoxville
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/UTKnoxville
See what’s happening at https://www.utk.edu.
MusicBed Sync ID: MB01DEWDBFQ1GHH, MB01DEWDBFQ1GHH
