AUT Science Innovation Makes a Splash: How AUT is shaping the future of Manu competitions
If you’ve ever witnessed or popped a Manu, you’ll know it’s more than just a jump. It’s a distinctly Kiwi tradition that blends skill, style and, most importantly, splash power. Across Aotearoa, this playful pastime has grown into a cultural phenomenon, earning iconic status through nationwide events like the Z Manu World Champs.
If you’re unfamiliar with the tradition, Manu (te reo Māori for bird) refers to the iconic dive bomb, where the body is tucked up into a V shape on entry, before kicking out on submersion to create the tallest possible splash. Traditionally, Manu competitions have been judged by a panel of judges, crowd cheers, and the naked eye. Now, however, these events are taking on a new layer of precision thanks to a new innovative piece of technology developed at AUT.
Enter ManuTech: a digital scoring system that measures both splash height and sound to accurately score Manu jumps. Footage of every jump is captured to analyse the exact height of the splash, while underwater hydrophones (microphones designed to record sound beneath the water’s surface) measure the distinct “Manu pop” on impact. Together, these metrics contribute to a participant’s final score, which is calculated and displayed live on a big screen just seconds after each jump.
The People Behind It
Led by Professor Patria Hume, an AUT human performance professor, ManuTech was grounded in her expertise in sports biomechanics. She developed the original scoring technology through her research, which formed the basis for collaboration with Scott Rice, founder of Quantum Events and the Z Manu World Champs, to bring the system into competition settings. This collaboration progressed into live trials at Z Manu World Champs – testing the system where it mattered most, in real competition environments.
Through ongoing development led by Hume, alongside support from students and the Quantum Events team, ManuTech continued to be refined across multiple competition rounds. 2025 marked a key point of validation at Z Manu World Champs, where the system demonstrated its ability to perform reliably in large-scale, live competition settings. This success was further recognised at the New Zealand Event Awards, where the Z Manu World Champs won the Technology Innovation of the Year award for its integration of ManuTech.
Reflecting on why this technology has resonated so strongly with communities, Rice says:
“We knew the Z Manu World Champs was going to be wildly popular and attract a large number of jumpers keen to compete. We needed a judging system that could accurately and fairly score each jump at speed to determine who would progress to the Grand Final and ultimately our World Champions. ManuTech has delivered us that solution.”
Backed by the Tīmatanga Initiate Grant
To support the next stage of ManuTech following its success in 2023, 2024 and 2025, the next stage of its development has been backed through the Tīmatanga Initiate Grant, an AUT Innovation Fund initiative that supports promising research with real-world collaborators. Quantum Events is co-funding the research, and it cements Auckland University of Technology as the Z Manu World Champs’ ongoing Development Partner.
Work is now underway to transform ManuTech into a dedicated mobile application incorporating AI capabilities for automated Manu measurement and scoring. Sira Yongchareon, Associate Professor in Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, is leading this next phase of the research. This shift moves ManuTech to an intelligent app for competitions.
Reflecting on the project, Sira Yongchareon says:
“Projects like ManuTech demonstrate how AI and human-centred research at AUT can move beyond theory and perform in real-world environments. It also gives students the chance to work with real constraints and real users, which is a crucial part of learning how research translates into practice.”
A partnership grounded in real-world application
Beyond the technology itself, the project highlights the power of collaboration between community and university. It signals exciting momentum ahead – for the future of ManuTech, and for Auckland University of Technology’s ongoing role in championing community-connected innovation across Aotearoa and beyond.