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Technology is playing an increasingly large role in our everyday lives, but you might not have noticed how it’s also changing our favorite sports. The following are some of the most fascinating examples of this trend and how it’s giving us new ways of enjoying these sports.
Horse Racing Monitors and Online Games
While horse races don’t look very different on the surface from a few years ago, it’s undergone some rapid changes. Among them, we can see that wearable tech lets each trainer and owner monitor every aspect of their horse’s performance. From their heart rate to the stride length, these monitors track everything that the stable’s team needs to know about during training and races. As with many other sports, virtual reality and augmented reality are also making it more immersive for fans.
Another interesting change is the way the sport is now represented in the horse racing slots games in this list. Slingo Racing has gameplay that mixes bingo with slots to provide a fast-paced interactive game. The list after features Derby Wheel, which begins as a slot machine but has a wheel of fortune-style segment that can take players to a virtual horse race segment.
AI Tracking in Soccer Boots
Soccer has been played in something close to its present form since the 19th century. Yet, in recent years we’ve seen new technology start to change this timeless sport in fascinating ways. Former Real Madrid player Esteban Granero is one of the pioneers looking to use artificial intelligence (AI) to allow clubs to improve data collection and decision-making
2023 saw the governing body, FIFA, allow boots using AI to be worn by players for the first time. This means that the trackers made by Playmaker can be strapped to their boots and transmit information about their physical performance. Details such as speed, balance, and acceleration can all be instantly gathered in this way.
A Smart Basketball Hoop
Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891, using peach baskets as targets for the players to shoot into. By the start of the 20th century, the hoops now looked similar to what we’re used to seeing in the NBA, but a dramatic change could be on the way in the form of smart hoops. Lyth Saeed and Paul Anton are the co-founders of Huupe, which has already raised $11 million from investors.
This company recently presented their smart basketball hoop at the Leap conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It works by calculating information such as the player’s shooting percentage, angle, and speed, with this information then displayed on the board. The idea is that players get a high-level workout and professional training at any time, while they can also stream sporting events on the Huupe’s screen.
These changes are likely to be followed by other new ways of incorporating cutting-edge technology into our favorite sports. Adding useful data and features without lowering the pleasure we get from these games is the key for the companies working in this area
