It’s been said that football is a game of inches. If that is the case, technology may soon help determine those inches exactly. Priya Narasimhan, PhD, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and founder of YinzCam — a mobile live streaming technology for sporting events — and a team of researchers have designed a ball-tracking technology that uses sensors in the form of a small circuit board. Weighing approximately one half-ounce and placed inside the ball, the circuit board contains a microprocessor, an antenna, and a magnetic coil that allows it to be charged wirelessly. The result is a ball that can be tracked no matter where it’s located on the field.

The technology is the result of more than three years of research and testing. “We’ve readied this ball to withstand the impact of an NFL game, especially with people beating up on it,” Narasimhan says. The group also designed the technology for wide receiver gloves and football cleats. In addition to allowing officials to determine a ball’s exact location — rather than guessing — the technology could be used as a training tool. “I think there is tremendous value for coaches to use it for scouting and training purposes,” Narasimhan says. “Every single time you use it, it gives you hard data on ball location so you can tell if you’re throwing the ball in the right place or catching it the correct way. You use it and then tweak your throw, kick, or catching style off the data.”

Source: Carnegie Mellon University

Posted August 25th, 2010 under Tech Transfer

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