SPORTS TECHNOLOGY
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coaching and it can be used to increase players’ performances and training. We are currently developing a tool where coaches can draw drills on an iPad and then run the drill on the floor.” Play Sight is another company specialising in this area, and its Smart Court AI technology has helped take sports entertainment and performance to the next level. “We founded Play Sight with the mission of democratising sports technologies,” says co-founder and CEO Chen M Shachar. “We launched our first product back in 2014. We turn courts into a smart court by connecting the internet and using cameras with AI technology. We’re essentially connecting the on- court activities and the digital world.” Initially starting in tennis, Play Sight offers AI-based solutions for more than 40 sports. It was important for Play Sight to develop affordable technology, not just for elite-level clubs and teams. “It had to be fully autonomous, with a very easy set-up and installation,” says Shachar. “The smart court provides four main services, the first of which being automated production, which means a customer can stream or broadcast live with no camera operator on the
At Leeds United’s Elland Road, more than 100 Martin Audio speakers have been installed to improve coverage
premises,” he continues. “Roughly 90% of sports can’t afford to bring in television crews to produce their game like the NBA or Premier League do. The ability to automatically stream live with no camera operator means that, now, every sports organisation can easily engage with their fans, monetise their content and raise the visibility of their sport or club. Every player can now engage with their followers as well.” The second use is player development, implementing AI and video technology to enhance the performance of the players. The third use is VAR. “Officiating has become essential for sportsmanship. Every Play Sight smart court comes with a VAR system built in. So, instead of having VAR at just the elite levels, this enables every second- or third-tier league to use the technology. Everything we do, and at the core of the technology, is our ability to automatically track the players and the ball using AI technology,” Shachar explains. Play Sight has more than 600 sports organisations worldwide on its books with some of the top names in sports, including 23 NBA teams, hundreds of college programmes in different sports, private schools, multi-sports academies and all the major tennis federations. Recently, its focuses have shifted towards padel and pickleball. “I believe that, in the near future, every sports facility is going to have AI cameras integrated into their facility,” argues Shachar. “Padel, for example, is growing rapidly in the UK, and in a few years all these clubs will incorporate AV. “They are going to be smart and will feature advanced cameras, players will also be able to use the technology to get their automatic highlights of the game and share that on social media. “They will also use AI technology to find out about their statistics, and to get recommendations about how to improve their game. They will be able to livestream all the tournaments that run there. And Play Sight is proud to be part of that technology revolution in sports.”
The Beats N Buckets event enabled ASB Glass Floor to showcase the potential of its high-tech flooring to sponsors
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