In luge, precision matters. Athletes soar up to 90 miles per hour down tracks that can drop hundreds of feet from start to finish. Times are measured to the thousandth of a second, so even small changes in drag can make a big difference in results.

That’s where Douglas Bohl and Brian Helenbrook, mechanical engineers at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, think they can help. Bohl and Helenbrook are joining forces with the USA Luge team to design a faster sled in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

The engineers and their team are planning a multipronged attack. First,...