Young mathematicians across the country developed research projects using Vertigo, a lightweight, mobile tool which records location and movement using an internal accelerometer, gyroscope and GPS. Studying movement in an unconventional way allowed students to experience mathematics in action. 

Students explored a multitude of activities, from exercise and sport to riding a rollercoaster. To collect data, they simply attached Vertigo to the person or object they were measuring. Once the activity was complete, they downloaded the data onto their PC. 

The project, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the ERA Foundation, allowed students to use mind-bending maths to uncover the relationship between power and movement. 

A student from Chipping Camden School deciphered the amount of power a cyclist needs to maintain their speed. A young research team from Liberton School looked at the physics of an ollie, the skateboarding trick where the rider and board leap into the air without the aid of their hands. Young researchers from Sutton Grammar took their investigation to the ocean to find an inexpensive, effective method to measure heights of waves using free-floating buoys.