Sports technologization: smart devices for professionals and amateurs

Now, when it comes to sports gadgets, the thought usually goes in the direction of fitness trackers. But the athlete, the pro or the amateur lives not with the trackers. In addition to trackers, manufacturers of sports equipment and accessories have bothered to create high-tech balls, golf clubs and everything else.

It may well be that in a few years footballs will criticize the players at the top of their voices (“Well, where did you hit, well, where did you go? We had to hit the gate at an angle of 43 degrees, and what did you do? Go go, press 30 times , and do not be lazy, the fitness tracker will show me everything ”). Well, for now, athletes (not only football players, but also golfers, hockey players, tennis players and skiers) can get a detailed analysis of their actions, plus a couple of tips on a smartphone.
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In general, under the cut - examples of some sports accessories: balls, clubs and everything else that suddenly became smarter. Maybe someone has already tested something from the presented?

Smart Balls

Balls, like balls, outwardly do not differ from their ordinary counterparts, except for their high-tech "stuffing". Sensors, motion sensors, wireless communication modules - all this can be found in some models of balls.

Ball Adidas miCoach SMART BALL

This kind of sport has been and will soon be the most popular in the world. To date, the number of football fans reaches 3.5 billion people. This is half the population of the whole world! That is why one of the first smart balls released by footballers for footballers. Practicing with the Adidas miCoach SMART smart ball, almost any amateur or professional can feel like a player of the highest league.

A smart ball does not just provide you with feedback, it acts as a trainer. To do this, use a smartphone application that allows the player to see his game and calculate errors. During the game, the built-in sensors send speed, rotation, trajectory and point of ball into the application via Bluetooth 4.0 to a smartphone. In addition, the video stream is also recorded, which makes it possible to visually see all the achievements and mistakes when analyzing the game, without missing any important detail.



Unfortunately, miCoach SMART BALL only supports synchronization with iOS devices, for some reason Android was left behind, although the developers promised to release a similar application for smart phones on Android OS.



The Adidas miCoach SMART BALL ball can be bought, its price is about $ 300 (for some reason it gives an error on the official website when trying to find a card, but there are other vendors, including Apple . In addition, you can apply for admission notification on MedGadgets smart ball in the Russian Federation.

Basketball ball Infomotion 94Fifty Smart Sensor

Another cute and smart ball is released for basketball players, so that they do not envy the players for improving their own training / competition performance. Like the miCoach soccer ball, 94Fifty offers online training and allows you to watch your game in real time on your smartphone. Smart ball supports both iOS and Android platforms, is already good.

There are various training modes for beginners and experienced players. The mobile application measures and displays various statistics, such as speed, rotation, and throw angle, along with recommendations on how to make better throws.



By the way, the ball allows the coach to observe the parameters of the game in real time (speed, throws, etc.). The ball is available in two versions: normal (29.5 inches) and medium (28.5 inches) sizes.

To buy a basketball smart ball Infomotion 94Fifty is available from the manufacturer for $ 250. or at MedGadgets , in the Russian Federation, for 12300 rub.

Smart rackets, baseball bats and golf clubs

Football players and basketball players can be satisfied, but what about tennis players, baseball players and golfers? There are also devices on the market for smart devices, and there are also plenty of smart accessories for these sports.

Smart racket Babolat Play Pure Drive

Tennis, it turns out, ranks fourth in the world in popularity (almost a billion fans). The entertainment is an order of magnitude less than in football or basketball, but the adrenaline, the emotions of the players and the many hours of controversy attract a lot of viewers.

Babolat is probably the most famous manufacturer of everything for tennis players. Babolat missiles are played by Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick, Leander Paez, Fernando Gonzalez, Igor Andreev and many other hockey players known tennis players. The Babolat Play Pure Drive racket is made of a lightweight composite consisting of woven carbon fibers and tungsten filaments.

This high-tech racket is equipped with a sensor built into the handle. Pulse is a rating system that evaluates the game based on your technique, stamina and strength. The system records the number of top spins, forehand innings and other types of shots, other indicators, as well as individual achievements and results for the entire game. The sensor embedded in the pen records the game and transmits the data to the smartphone, with the corresponding application installed. The device supports both iOS and Android platforms. Combined with the integrated global user community, the Babolat Play smart racket turns an ordinary game into a competition between players from different countries of the world.





The price of a Babolat Play Pure Drive racket, as you might guess, is very rather big - $ 399. You can buy on the manufacturer's website .

GAME GOLF tracking system

In the metal golf club is difficult to embed something, so the developers went the other way. The GAME GOLF system consists of two components: a tracker worn around the belt and special tags attached to the clubs. Included - 18 tags for clubs. All that needs to be done is to hold the tracker attached to the stick on the tracker before each beat, and GAME GOLF will do the rest. True, GAME GOLF does not show your performance in real time on a smartphone or tablet. To receive and view the collected data, you must connect the tracker to the PC, with the appropriate program, and synchronize the data.

Game Golf captures and displays the game in a dynamic interface, along with statistics, trends and useful information for you. There are complete statistics, achievements and records, as well as the ability to share and compare your results with other members of the community.



Quite a significant drawback of the system: - this is the lack of the possibility of wireless data transmission, without the need for synchronization with a PC.

Zepp sensor for tennis, baseball and golf

The Zepp sensor for tennis rackets, baseball bats and golf clubs turns these tools into smart devices. The device allows you to analyze the backswing, the initial and final speed, the position of the arm during the backswing and everything else. A 360º swing analysis allows you to view and even reproduce the kick from the beginning to the end in 3D from any angle.

For each game there is a special mount that allows you to install the same sensor on a baseball bat, tennis racket or golf gloves. Well, for each sport - its application, with the analysis of data from Zepp.

The received data is synchronized with applications for iOS and Android, the transmission goes without wires, all as usual.



The sensor comes in three versions: Zepp Baseball, Golf or Tennis, each of which includes a sensor, a corresponding mount and a charger.

Well, you can buy Zepp on the manufacturer's website for $ 149 or in Russia, from MedGadgets for 8400 rubles.

Smart glasses and virtual HUD displays

Smart glasses Recon Jet

Recon Jet - hi-tech glasses that can be called not only “smart”, but also cute.

Recon smart glasses are equipped with a 1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, in combination with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of shared memory. The device projects an image comparable in size with a picture on a 30-inch HD-display, from a distance of 2 meters. There are wireless modules Wi-Fi a / b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, ANT and micro USB, plus a 3D accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometers. The developers have provided and pressure sensors and ambient temperature to track the activity of the owner, plus an HD-camera. All necessary indicators are shown in real time.

Recon Jet can be paired with an iOS or Android-based smartphone to receive and answer incoming calls through the built-in speaker and microphone, view SMS, and connect to the network. In addition to built-in applications that display statistics about your performance (speed, distance, etc.), Recon Jet smart glasses also support third-party applications and sensors.

Developers can use SDK devices to create an application of their choice, using external sensors through the ANT + standard protocol: for example, heart rate controllers, pedaling frequency sensors, etc.

Recon Jet is the most expensive device on our list. But if you consider that this is not just an accessory, but a separate computer with support for its own applications, the high price seems quite justified. For comparison, Google Glass will cost you several times more. Points are also available in white.



The device should be on sale in the fall of 2014, at a price of 499 US dollars. In addition, you can leave a pre-order for buying a device in the Russian Federation on the site MedGadgets.ru .

Smart glasses for skiers Recon Snow2

Well, another gadget from Recon instruments, now for ski lovers. In addition to design, glasses are not much different from the Recon Jet. The same powers and sensors are built in here as in the Recon Jet. True, there is no camera, and the virtual display projects a virtual image comparable in size with a picture on a 14-inch HD display from a distance of 1.5 meters.

In addition to the main performance indicators, such as speed, distance and temperature, Recon Snow2 glasses also allow you to track vertical descents, airtime and altitude - all important statistics for mountain sports. The device also supports third-party sensors and applications, and also connects to a smartphone. Instead of a touchpad, here is a wearable control panel with large buttons that can be easily controlled even when flying head down in gloves for a snowboarder.



Just like the Recon Jet, the Recon Snow2 is quite expensive, although it depends on what it is. Should appear on sale in the near future at a price of $ 399, you can leave a request for purchase in the Russian Federation on the site MedGadgets .

As far as can be judged, other interesting devices for athletes will have to appear in the near future, so we will wait.