Interesting things happen at the intersection of sports and technology. First are incremental advances in equipment that help athletes reach their full potential. Ultrasonic bonding can eliminate the seams in a bathing suit, to let swimmers glide faster through the water. The upcoming World Cup will feature the roundest and most leak-proof soccer balls ever. And there’s always something new in sneakers to help athletes run faster or jump higher than before.
Other advances are meant to give fans a better viewing experience, like when first-goal lines are superimposed on a football field and move in real time with the TV cameras.
The Japan Football Association’s bid for the 2022 World Cup includes a genuine game-changer: holographic broadcasts. This technology doesn’t even exist yet, but should come online in the next ten years.
Imagine your team is playing for a world championship, but the game is taking place in Japan and you’re located in the United States. Luckily, it’s 2022 and your local stadium is equipped with holographic projectors! In Japan, up to 200 HD cameras film the action from every angle. Meanwhile, in your hometown, real-time, full-sized, holographic images of the players range all over the field. It’s almost like being there!
How much longer would it be until the home units came out, so we could watch the Celtics and Lakers battle it out on a holographic coffee table? What would it be like to play, or to watch, a game with even more advanced technology than that? I’m having fun working that out with Galaxy Games.
