6 Exciting SportsTech in the Market Today

Media Entertainment Tech Outlook | Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Technological advancements have changed the paradigm of sports, including the way people experience it. Know these technologies positively affecting sports in terms of performance and safety while making it fairer. 

FREMONT, CA: Technology has been intrinsic in the development and advancements of sports, much like it has in other aspects of life. From implementing video referees to many others, technology is changing the dimension of sports. Many professional and amateur sports bodies are embracing new sports technologies to protect athletes and make it easier to officiate games. Here are six exciting new technologies being used in the sports industry today.

• HANS Device

Several of the technological advancements in sports revolve around safety, and the HANS (Head and Neck Support) device is used mainly in motorsports. This technology gears toward saving riders' life in the event of any tragic crash. It is a U-shaped device placed behind the neck, and its two arms are placed over the pectoral muscles of the chest. Usually, it is connected to the helmet by two anchors and supported by the shoulders. A HANS device safeguards the head from whipping back and forth in a crash while preventing excessive twisting movements.

• Prosthetic Devices

Previously, people with disabilities or lost limbs never had a chance to compete in sports. But with the evolution of prosthetic technology, more physically challenged people are able to compete in games. The combination of technology and cutting edge materials has pushed the industry beyond simply allowing these athletes to enjoy their chosen sport.

• Wearable Technology

Smart wearables, tracking sensors, and connected devices are gaining momentum in the sports industry. The reason for such sweeping adoption is the immense volume of performance and health data these devices provide to athletes, coaches, and sports professionals. The speed of adoption of this technology shows no signs of slowing, and it is evolving beyond tracking chips that are integrated into sports equipment or traditional wearables such as smartwatches and activity trackers. Wearable technology is now expanding into smart clothing and electronic textile, such as self-heating jackets. Tech giants are all developing smart fabric and interactive garments. 

• Assistive AI

The sports domain has entered a period of unprecedented adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially in the analytical sector. Assistive AI is one of the most prolific areas in sports technology, driven by the maturing developments in the area of sports. It helps athletes, teams, and coaches navigate through complex performance or game analysis and provide them with actionable insights that are backed by contextual and factual data. Today, AI-based sports analytics are used in scouting new talent, developing strategies to beat opponents, reducing injuries, and boosting individual performance.

• Hawk-Eye Technology

This technology uses six to seven high-end cameras situated above the field of play to analyze the flight and trajectory of an object being used in sports competition. This technology is most commonly used in tennis, cricket, rugby, and football. This technology helps to take an error-free decision on plays, and it reduces the criticism of the players and viewers about the decision of the referee. By analyzing the movement of the ball, the referee or umpire can take error-free decisions quickly when the game is going on.

• Facial Recognition Technology

Advancements in deep learning and computer vision help in the emergence of facial recognition technology. Today, sports and entertainment venues are increasingly utilizing this technology to improve security, reduce ticket fraud, and create new tools for advertising and marketing. Facial recognition is not just for security, but authorities can use computer vision to count how many people attend games and gain insight into fan demographics. 

Sport and technology are developing a peanut butter and jelly relationship, and needless to say, technology is going to play an even more significant part in the future. 

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