British scientists are developing miniaturised sensors to monitor the performance of top athletes under an £8.5 million project to find a competitive edge at the London Olympics.

The wireless devices, small enough to be worn comfortably during high-impact training sessions, are being trialled by the Great Britain bob skeleton, rowing and athletics teams.

The micro sensors offer coaches real-time feedback of athletes’ physiological responses, measuring biochemical information such as heart rate, muscle activity and impact on joints. The continuous data should provide a better understanding of performance under pressure and recovery rates.

Sports scientists can at present monitor only athletes hooked up to bulky machines in a controlled laboratory environment or via GPS tracking and video assessment. Neither offers the realistic information necessary for coaches to make instant decisions.

Scott Drawer, head of research and innovation at UK Sport, said: “At the moment we take a snapshot of information, but this will build up a complete picture so we can develop technically aware athletes. That’s where the edge will be.”

Uses of the technology, developed by scientists at Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London and Loughborough University, include measuring the stride lengths of runners, the stroke efficiency of rowers and the impact of G-force on bob skeleton riders.

Dr Drawer said that the five-year project, staffed by 30 researchers and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, was the biggest in the world. Most of the intellectual property on the subject belongs to Britain’s rivals in the southern hemisphere. Drawer said: “This sends out a really big message that we are in this game and we are going to do it properly.”

It is hoped the research could have viable uses outside sport, such as in the oil and gas sectors as well as general areas of engineering and medicine, giving a commercial return to Team GB. Drawer said: “These devices will have to be robust because if an athlete can break it, he or she will. Some environments, such as sailing, are more challenging than the military.”

It is hoped that the technology will benefit the National Health Service. Lord Darzi of Denham, until recently the Health Minister, said it could be used to treat the 17 million people in Britain with chronic long-term diseases without repeated visits to hospital. “The ability to predict and have statistical monitoring will be ideal . . . allowing the shifting of care closer to the home,” Darzi said.

•Michael Edwards — better known as Eddie the Eagle — will be back in Canada for the Vancouver Winter Olympics next year, but he will not be flying this time. Edwards, who was an inexperienced and unorthodox ski jumper, earned notoriety at the 1988 Calgary Games in finishing last in the two events he contested. Edwards will carry the flame during the torch relay in Winnipeg in January.