We all know of technology and how it is advancing. We hear about it in the news on an almost everyday basis. Technology advances and with it, so do we, at least that is what we like to believe.
Sports benefit from advancements in technology, some more than others – just look at how many people use online platforms to bet on sports, or how many people download apps to keep track of matches more conveniently. This mostly depends on the governing body and whether they want to adopt technology early. Some sports were quick to adopt AI technology, while others have been more hesitant. Regardless, AI is being used in sports and here is how.
Refereeing – Hawk-Eye and AI Assisted Refereeing
Depending on the sport, some have implemented hawk-eye technology, meaning AI assisted referees. Tennis was one of the first sports to implement the hawk-eye system, and some tournaments even removed line judges completely, though not the head referee.
Hawk-eye works differently to what people expected when it was implemented. Hawk-eye uses high speed cameras to capture footage of the game, or rather, data. The system is not reviewing the data as a referee would, but reconstructing the play and with that information, providing a final call.
It is a great system and more sports should be using it, to remove bad calls which happen too frequently for both sports fans and the athletes involved to be content with human error.
AI Coaching – Data is Invaluable
Sports have a lot of things in common with one another. Some of these things can translate from one sport to another, but the coaches often do not have the means of obtaining all the data. AI can help coaches by going through all the data from different sports, to extract what is necessary and relevant to the coach.
This can be tweaked, from one sport to another, to help maximize potential. This way, coaches can use multiple strategies, and they do not have to be from the same sport. Removing limits is one of the ways of making a sport better.
AI Workouts – The Best Exercises for the Athletes
When an AI judges you, it will do so based on lots of data. This can help you improve, because you will know in which areas you are lacking, even if you might think that you are not. Coaches and trainers can also use this data to help improve their players. The athletes themselves can benefit from this, whether by improving their motion, strikes, or even form when competing, for example, a better forehand technique, or rather, a more optimal one.
If an athlete can become better thanks to an AI, then sports are likely to become even more entertaining.
Broadcasting and Streaming With AI Help
But how can an AI help the person spectating get a better experience? It is pretty simple, the AI can choose which angles and cameras are optimal for the viewer. If one can get a better viewing experience with seamless AI integration, then watching sports will be even more popular. This is good for the viewer who undoubtedly misses out on details in sports due to bad camera angles.
AIs are everywhere nowadays, powering search engines, various forms of deep learning, as well as sports. This is only the beginning of AI usage in sports and with time, it is only going to be better and more sophisticated.
