Technology & Innovation Flashcards
The Evolution of Technology in Sport
Equipment used by sportsmen may be used to trace back the origins of sport technology. For millennia, sporting equipment was simple, but as human understanding and materials advanced, so did the gear used by athletes.
Ancient athletes were either bare feet or wore basic leather sandals as their footwear. Athletes now enjoy the benefits of highly customized footwear that offers the best support, grip and cushioning for their particular activities.
Sports balls have undergone an equally remarkable transformation. Balls have evolved from leather to rubber to more sophisticated synthetic materials that are today more resilient, consistent and aerodynamic.
In order to improve power, control, and longevity, new materials like carbon fiber have been incorporated into baseball bats and tennis rackets through significant design changes.
The Digitalisation of Time
Digital timings have greatly improved precision and decreased the possibility of human error in sports. The NBA implemented the shot clock in 1954 in a effort to shorten basketball games. The idea included a countdown that was visible to all players that indicated how long each team may keep the ball before shooting.
In track events, a split second can be the difference between winning a medal and not. Error is therefore completely eliminated. The precise technology underlying electronic start systems in competitions was created to track precise start timings for every competitor.
New starting blocks were used before the 2012 London Olympic Games in order to evaluate the runner’s response times by applying pressure to the foot pad rather than by movement. Any pressure sensed quicker than this is recorded as a false start, as no human reaction time could realistically be anticipated to be less than a tenth of a second.
Injury Prevention
Special helmets designed to guard athletes against skull fractures that might result in brain injuries have been created for several contact sports. Various sensors detect the force and direction of hits to the head during sports using a technique known as HITS. This can transmit information to a computer for real-time evaluations of possible concussions.
Computer-based injury prevention programs are also employed to collect biometric data and other workload effect percentage data. This assist in preventing unintentional injuries to athletes or in identifying players who are most vulnerable to injuries. Utilizing a handheld high-definition camera, this technology is used to capture each movement made by players.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
According to Fifa VAR is a support tool for officials. In four circumstances that have the potential to alter a match, the VAR crew assists the referee in making decisions, ovjectices and transgressions before a goal, decisions about penalties and the offenses that resulted in such decisions, only situations with a direct red card and identity errors.
The video assistant referee crew continuously monitors a game for glaring mistakes pertaining to these four game-changing circumstances. The referee and the VAR staff exchange information when there are glaring errors or significant missed events.
Fully Automatic Timing (FAT)
A common method of sports timing is fully automatic timing (FAT), which records digital race results with an accuracy of at least 1/100th and ideally 1/1000th of a second. To maintain accuracy, fully automatic timing systems need to digitally synchronize the start signal, running time, and capturing device. In order to be considered True FAT, the timing device must also be turned on automatically by a start signal as opposed to manually.
To eliminate any possibility of human mistake or delay, the completion time must also be recorded digitally.
