ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Cricket discovers new heroes in Intel drone, Bat sensors and VR experience zones

The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 marked its beginning with a wearisome match between England and Bangladesh. However, what caught everyone's attention at the beginning of the game was the detailed pitch analysis by the drone. This Intel Falcon 8 Drone was hands down, the show stealer. ICC had previously announced the introduction of Intel drones along with bat sensor and Virtual reality techniques to enhance the game experience in the Champions Trophy.

Match 1 and Match 2 commenced with the advanced analysis of the pitch by the drone as the commentators elaborated upon the data collected by it. This Intel Falcon 8 drone is equipped with HD and infrared cameras to register the minutest details about the pitch. The images from the drone displayed fine pictures of the pitch which helped the experts in revealing the accurate conditions of the pitch including the grass cover, grass health and topology. 

Two other technologies making a mark in the tournament were the bat sensors and virtual reality experience zones on the ground. All these tech advancements are backed by Intel.

The Intel Curie technology powers the bat sensors which upon being fitted on the bats, communicates all the detailed information about each stroke that the batsman plays. These details aided in tracking the bat speed, back-lift and follow-through during the match. Now players are also enabled to reach for new insights into their techniques because of the precise details obtained from the bat-sensor data.

On the other hand, the commentators can use this information for a rich accounting during the course of the match.

The Oval also offered Virtual reality experience zones to the fans during the Bangladesh vs England match. These zones allowed the fans to step into the shoes of the players. In this, spectators can face a virtual bowler in an immersive cricketing environment and have an experience like never before. The VR mounted headset will enable the person to test his skills against a virtual bowler.

Revealing about the introduction of these new innovative techniques in ICC Champions Trophy just ahead of the tournament, David Richardson, CEO of ICC stated that Intel is their “Official Innovation Partner”. The authorities are of the opinion that this is a game-changing move in the world of Cricket.

Intel is reaching out for this opportunity with both hands to come up with innovative ways to enrich the experience of witnessing the game for the fans. Sandra Lopez, the Vice President of Intel Sports Group said, “Our goal is to lead the way forward into the digitisation and personalisation of sports, transforming the way fans and athletes experience the sport.”

Specular will also release a consumer version of its bat sense. This can be used by individuals to enhance their batting skills by learning about the details of their batting move. Young players can count on this technology to make a specific adjustment to their techniques and improve their game. The expertise and insights of the coaches will also help them polish their skills. Specular is planning to release this version of “Bat-sense” in India, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.