GOAL LINE TECHNOLOGY
IN SPORT
The argument surrounding technology in sport has always been one at the forefront of discussion throughout the 21st Century.
Aaron Leggot reports.
As technology improved in society, those involved within elite levels of sport demanded similar attention to help ease the pressure on officials and players alike. Technology within the institution has come in a variety of ways since its inception, though. It plays a massive role in modern day sport, from football to cricket, and has an undoubtedly large influence on the running of every popular sport on the planet.
A lot of people presume that technology is just at the forefront of sporting occasions - at a time when the spotlight is on during games and events. Yet, the amount of scientific research that goes into enhancing the performance of athletes in technological terms is unrivalled.
The University of Ulster described sporting technologies as 'man-made means developed to reach human interests or goals in or relating to a particular sport.'
They go further into their description, analysing technology in sport as a "technical means by which athletes attempt to improve their training and competitive surroundings in order to enhance their overall athletic performance. It is the knowledge and application of using specialised equipment and the latest modern technologies to perform tasks more efficiently."
Of course, their definition of the term is revolved around the technology that is used to help enhance and analyse athlete performance, and it is overwhelming to think how much of an impact technology really does have on this side of sport.
Nanotechnology has been included in the production of tennis rackets to help improve the speed of a tennis ball, whilst golf clubs have decreased in mass whilst maintaining their regular size - a move which is believed to help improve the distance that golfer's can hit a ball.
It is without doubt that an athlete needs to possess the natural ability to build a career as an elite professional, but it also certain that the use of technology in all aspects of sport helps improve performances.
It is not just sporting equipment that can help an athlete prosper however. Clothing is starting to be produced in order to improve the valuable strengths of athletes - ranging from flexibility to resistance.
But perhaps the most discussion regarding sport and technology is its use in aiding officials. It is an argument that has divided opinion like nothing else in Sport, and it is hard to ignore the impact it is had since its introduction to the likes of cricket and tennis.
Tennis, of course, uses a hawk eye system in major tournaments and gives power to players wanting to review line decisions that are very tight. The Hawkeye system, which uses six or more cameras around the tennis court, tracking the path of the ball to provide an accurate 3D representation of the shot.
Introduced in 2001 by British computer expert Paul Hawkins, it was first used in December 2005 at the Nasdaq 100 Open in Miami - and has since been used in Grand Slams across the world. However, like every piece of technology - there has been a lot of criticism pointed at the potential flaws in the system.
For example, the French Open has consistently refused to use the technology due to the unique characteristics of the clay court used at Roland Garros, whilst the main criticism pointed at hawk eye is that the ball seems to be elongated when projected onto the court, which could provide an inaccurate representation of the ball's projection.
Cricket is another sport which has successfully implemented the use of Hawkeye - and fresh from their annihilation of the Aussies in the summer, England will travel down under within the next month for the next Ashes series - this time without the aid of "hotspot."
It is believed that Cricket has been the biggest winner regarding technological advancements, with the increase in television quality helping to aid the umpires in their decision making - which is arguably the toughest in sport.
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