As technology advances, it has an impact on all industries, including sports. It can help referees make decisions and review calls, and it helps trainers come up with the best programs for athletes. Take a look at five exciting new innovations in sports technology.
- Instant Replay
Instant replay has changed sports a great deal. Officials and referees can see the details of plays that are more difficult to judge with the eyes alone. It also helps to ensure that a bad call can be reviewed. It is being used in a lot of sports, including American football, cricket, soccer, rugby, and more.
- Timing Systems
In the past, stopwatches were used for timing. There was room for error with the reaction time of different timing officials. The timing of races and other events can be more precise because they begin timing as soon as the starting sound occurs. The timing device can be tied into these events, so there’s very little room for error.
- Sensor Tools
Another innovation is the sensors that are used to validate goals. Sometimes it is difficult to judge the exact location of the ball, and these sensors can determine whether they made it. Tennis uses sensors to determine whether a ball is out of bounds or not, and it can be used to determine where a ball that hit interference would have landed.
- Equipment Technology
Safety is very important in many sports, and equipment technology can help protect athletes. For instance, there are special helmets used in football to absorb shock from collisions and reduce concussions. This type of technology is also used in hockey and car racing. As technology is rapidly developing, you can find all kinds of equipment that help improve the safety of athletes.
- RFID Chips
RFID chips use an antenna that relays a wireless signal to time an individual athlete in an event. One benefit is that broadcasters and people watching can see exactly where the individuals are during a race. They have made both active and passive chips, and the active ones have built-in batteries so that they can be placed on the athlete.