Table of Contents
The world is growing at a fast pace, with new inventions and innovations, the human race has really brought their A-game in developing robust technology. Who knew one day you’ll be reading our article on your smart device, while you make yourself a coffee. And we even reckon that day is not far from us when robots will be doing most of our work. It’s still a long way ahead, nevertheless today we’ll be talking about some of the latest innovative sports technology.
List of top 12 latest sports technology
| S.N | Innovative Sports Technology |
| 1 | Flying drones and camera movements |
| 2 | Snicko or Edge detector |
| 3 | Video Assistant Referee |
| 4 | Fan engagement |
| 5 | Blockchain and NFT’s |
| 6 | Smart bails |
| 7 | Disability and Accessibility |
| 8 | Artificial Intelligence |
| 9 | Neuroscience |
| 10 | Virtual reality |
| 11 | Athlete’s clothing and equipments |
| 12 | Player and game graphics |
Latest sports technology: Flying drones and camera movements
From those cute little reel cameras to big flash DSLR’s, it’s been a long journey. Whenever we watch any sport, we usually witness different types of camera shots. The most amazing one is when the camera flys and shows the view of the whole stadium or even a close shot of your favourite sportsperson. It is all because of flying drones and spider cams that are operated by TV broadcasters that offers amazing shots on our TV. They have a 360-degree viewing angle and are used to record photos from close to the ground to the skyline.
Latest sports technology: Snicko or Edge detector
You must have heard commentators talk about snicko meters, well they are used in cricket and are quite useful actually. Realtime Snicko (from BBG Sports) or UltraEdge (from Hawk-Eye innovations) use sound waves to determine if the ball has contacted the bat before being captured by the opposition team. It measures sound waves with a sensitive stump microphone coupled to an oscilloscope. The sounds are then processed for background noise, coordinated with video streams, and played back in slow motion for the third umpire to assess a judgment.
VAR – Video Assistant Referee
Before this, goal-line technology was introduced in football, which helped determine if the ball crossed the goal line or not. It was only used when the referee couldn’t rule a goal and to take a third opinion.
Then later, VAR was first used in a friendly game between France and Italy, and after a promising experiment, a pitch-side monitor was used in the FIFA Club World Cup. The A-league was the first professional division to adopt VAR, with the MLS, Bundesliga, and Serie A succeeding the suit. VAR was first seen in an FA cup game in England, and La Liga got on board for the 2018-19 season, with the Premier League and even Champions League from the 2019/20 season onwards started using it for what FIFA refers to as “game-changing decisions,” such as goal validity, penalty kicks, red cards, and offsides.
Latest sports technology: Fan engagement
A fully engaged fan experience is the finest in sports, and everyone has begun to use a number of techniques to boost the passion and excitement of their most ardent supporters. There is no other way to apply it effectively but to deploy creative fan interaction methods that rely on the greatest technological platforms. TISA has developed UMPIRE and BRISK, 2 tools that will help you take your sports brand to the next level in relation to content generation and distribution. Forums, fantasy leagues, and global fan organizations are just a few instances of online fan participation.
Latest sports technology: Blockchain and NFT’s
NFT’s are Non-fungible tokens, that are collected by sports fans. Sports NFT is a distinct and non-interchangeable records entity preserved on a digital ledger (blockchain). A blockchain is a form of database in which data is kept in segments that are linked together. It might assist the sports business in a variety of ways, from improving audience engagement to giving new revenue options to developing totally new marketplaces for unique commodities trading. When it comes to introducing Fan Tokens in sport organisations, blockchain is now seeing a major rise. FC Barcelona, AS Roma, Juventus F.C., Atlético Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain are just a handful of the prominent global clubs that have already elected to use tokens in their community.
Latest sports technology: Smart bails
While watching cricket you might have noticed, whenever the wicketkeeper stumps the batsman, the bails over the stumps fall and quickly light into colorful led. These are actually smart bails that were launched In 2013 by a firm named Zing Bails. When the bails were properly freed from the stumps, the goal was to make them glow. A microchip in the bails senses when touched amongst the stumps and the bails are lost. The bails are powered by a low-voltage battery, which lights up in less than 1/1000th of a second. The 3rd umpire now analyses run-outs and stumpings swiftly. And the LED lights add a unique touch to the game for the spectators, especially during night games.
Disability and Accessibility
Spectators of all types can now enjoy sports thanks to new innovation, especially disabled fans who may have previously battled with barrier portions of events and venues. E-ticketing solutions as well as other contactless or automated services can also benefit disabled spectators. This allows them to avoid the challenges of a location that may lack wheelchair accessibility or disabled parking places near fan areas. Several venues have even introduced “in-seat delivery options”. It allows spectators to purchase food and drinks and have them served to their seats as they watch the action. For instance, many football clubs have started using big tv screens near the pitch, where fans can interact with players and even have a full in-stadium experience.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the world of sports is a byproduct of today’s ability to collect detailed and timely data on athletes’ performances. In the context of sports technology, experts predict that AI will have the greatest impact on improving team outcomes and identifying more valued athletes around the world. Artificial intelligence and other algorithms aid in the decision-making process. The implementation of artificial intelligence could make projecting the outcomes of sporting events more accurate.
Neuroscience
Exercising the intellect is just as vital as training the body. Cutting-edge neuroscience mixed with proprietary technology allows the Options group to produce customized action plans. And specific prescriptive counsel that comprehensively maximizes the function of an athlete’s brain. Applied neuroscience now allows us to measure, train, and upgrade the brain in the same way that elite athletes have for centuries measured, trained, and improved their performance ‘below the neck.’ The Halo headband was initially made available to the general public in 2017. By sending pulses that help neurons fire together, the gadget trains athletes’ brains for exercise and a big race.
Virtual reality
Virtual Reality (VR) is an interactive virtual environment that uses cameras, sensors, joysticks, or costumes to immerse you in a different world. Many clubs and international rugby teams are also using virtual reality headsets. It is used to produce simulated rugby scenarios such as line-outs, high balls, and first-phase attacks. This can help gamers improve their cognitive learning and visualisation skills. AR refers to a type of technology that lets you see additional objects or characters in the actual world. It’s the confluence of computer-based knowledge with our physical reality, for eg the Pokemon Go app or Snapchat’s bitmoji. In comparison to Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality (MR) has one key distinction. Virtual things and characters can interact with real-world objects and characters, allowing the two worlds to work together.
Athlete’s clothing and equipments
In sports, there are many different types of wearable tech. Professional athletes and casual fitness lovers alike favour Fitbit smartwatches. These are appropriate for a broad variety of activities that need calorie, step, distance, pulse, and heart rate tracking. Other, more specialised instances of wearable technology include “smart clothes.” Heart rate, breathing activity, postures, pace, and weight distribution are all measured by athletic clothing. Instead of collecting perspiration, new clothing is meant to wick it away from the body through evaporation. Even lighter and flatter track shoes are made to achieve the ideal mix of grip and comfort.
Player and game graphics
While watching your favourite sport, you might have noticed several infographics coming up on your TV screen. It gives details about a particular team or a player. The use of 3D visuals and simulations has brought a level of excitement to the way data is processed and delivered to viewers. There are a few organisations that work in both the statistics and visual arts fields. 3D player models shown throughout the action as well as during post-match discussions are a fun method to visualise the athletes’ and teams’ skills, strategies, and results.
