4 Key Benefits of Computer Vision in Sports
One of the fastest-growing technologies in artificial intelligence is computer vision.
What’s more, there’s little doubt that technologies like computer vision are playing a crucial role in changing the face of sports, with applications used in training and analysis to take athletes’ performance to the top level.
This article will cover the benefits of using computer vision in sports and surface some fascinating use cases.
1. Improving the viewer experience
What would sport be without fans cheering their teams on at every match? Now, thanks to computer vision, broadcasters can enhance the fan experience. Firstly, cameras now know where to focus, automatically finding the action instead of simply offering a panoramic view of the whole pitch.
Secondly, clubs can monitor fans during the games and analyze their emotions, which they can use to build statistics about fan engagement, helping them understand if they need to improve the fan experience.
2. Enhancing training sessions
To make improvements, players need to be able to learn from mistakes: theirs as much as their opponents. That’s why automatic sports analysis and insight-based analysis are essential to the training process. No one can spot mistakes if training without a coach, while coaches can easily miss important details the first time around.
Computer vision can help them analyze player performance. Meanwhile, object recognition software can follow an athlete and highlight any weaknesses in their technique. Based on this, athletes and teams work to remove bad habits once and for all.
3. Checking referee decisions
Think back to the last time you saw players surround the referee, angry at a supposed ‘bad’ decision. If only there were a way to check if the ref made the right call. Thanks to computer vision, we can do just this using 3D simulations and video inspection to check things like offsides, outs, goals, and photo finishes in races. Forget controversial calls; technology is here to ensure every decision is the right one.
4. Keeping athletes safe
As we all know, sport is a great way to keep healthy, but it’s not without risk. But thanks to computer vision, we can help prevent accidents or even save lives (you’ll learn about a particular example for this later in the article). Algorithms can analyze large data sets, including information on player position, game type, equipment used, playing surface, environmental factors, and player injury, then help improve injury treatment and rehabilitation, ultimately enabling injury prevention.
Could computer vision help you?
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to use computer vision applications in sports. But you need to know how to deploy them to get the best results.
With that in mind, you may want to work with experienced AI professionals when creating a solution for your business. We can advise you on the best path forward, guaranteeing you use the technology to maximum effect.