The Internet of Things and the Field of Sports

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The field of sports is indeed revolutionized by the Internet of Things. There are so many innovations being built to change the way games are played and how people watch their favorite games.

IoT or the Internet of Things is a concept which has become more exciting over the years, with the prevalence of connectivity-enabled and internet-ready embedded devices. Essentially, the IoT is the network of physical ‘things’ that contain embedded technology that could sense, process, act and communicate within the network and with the external space.

THE EXCITING IoT EVOLUTION
The sports field also sees the evolution of the IoT as something that is exciting. The Internet of Things is game-changing. It is more than ever timely, given that sports organizations and teams are exploring networked and wearable devices, both on and off the field, in different ways, such as:

1. Outfitting players’ shoulder-pads with sensors for measuring on-field performance.
2. Embedding sensors into the helmets of players to measure impact.
3. Development of smart mouth guards to boost safety.
4. Deployment of cameras around a basketball arena for tracking and analyzing players’ movements.
5. Putting adhesive sensors to athletes’ skin to measure physiological data and hydration levels.
6. Use of wearable for access performance and control monitoring in gyms.
7. Embedding of sensors on a soccer ball, under the turf for goal-line officiating technology.
8. Development of high-tech work out gear whose fabric analyzes and senses the right muscle movement.
9. Use of head-mounted cameras on payers to capture unique game views

CAPTURING DATA ON SPORTS
The idea of capturing data on sports event is not something new. However, the richness of data available now and the speed it is gathered definitely is. The way that sports ayer the various technologies together is changing the way fans view sports, coaching and even the way that sports cubs are run. Now, various apps means the fans could see not only how the team performed but which of the payers were most influential in the game. Anyone who has a WiFi connection and tablet, in effect, has a coach’s eye view of the game.

Sports venues are no exceptions from IoT and sports scientists and teams can piggyback on this inteigence for sharing rich data. Much of the power of IoT in sports relies on the ‘smart building’ idea for tying together existing technology resources. These include sensors, WiFi, intruder alarms, thermostats, door entry systems, digital displays, smart meters and even electronic ticketing. This way, building management software and building owners are aware of where people are, what they’re doing and how much energy they use.

Although athletic venues of yesterday may have provided fans with little more beyond the games, the stadiums of the present and the future are veritable hotbeds of technical sophistication. The Internet of Things used in stadiums to boost the fan experience via streamlined security programs, customized lighting systems and more robust cellphone reception, but also boosting back-end operations such as utilities management and point-of-sale processes.

IoT BOOSTS SPORTS
Nowadays, there is IoT technology to boost how people watch the game. Looking at basketball, there are new sensors showcasing to the audience how hard the player is slamming the ball through the hoop that do not cost more than $10 to make. The same technology could replace a radar gun within baseball through cocking the speed of a pitcher’s throw. As organizations go forward with new ways of computing and storing growing amounts of data, plenty of sports are excited on the advances and willing to pay for the changes too.

PROTECTION FOR PLAYERS
The IoT in sports also enable protection for payers in a truly powerful way. Most sports are considered are only entertainment. However, some are indeed risky for the players. That is why some companies have built devices that can actually track this type of things. A player who gets hit or fall for instance. There is a sensor located inside the helmet which measures the impact and transfers information to the coach and the medical team. This enables doctors to find out to determine if it’s safe for the players to continue playing.

As we have said earlier, some sports are seen as a kind of entertainment. Nowadays, the main problem that entertainment companies need to cope with is the diversity. Let us explain it. Most TV entertainment channels offer exactly the same programs and the only difference between them is the logo of the company.

As mentioned earlier, some sports are seen as entertainment. These days, the main concern that entertainment organizations need to cope with is the diversity. Most TV entertainment channels provide exactly the same programs. The only difference between them is the company’s logo. The Internet of Things also has the answer to solve the problem. Consider seeing sports from various angles. This could be more accurate and can avoid mistakes too.

Sports is one field that is truly revolutionized by the Internet of Things. IoT has indeed changed the way games are played and watched.

Dhrumit Shukla
TatvaSoft
Dhrumit Shukla has been working as Business Development Manager in a software development company named TatvaSoft since 5 years. He is profoundly skilled and well experienced in providing software development services on various technologies ranging from Microsoft .NET to JAVA, SalesForce, BizTalk, SharePoint, PHP, Open Source, iOS, Android, Pentaho and the list goes on.

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