Basketball vests (singlets) with electroluminescent displays that show a player鈥檚 score, and number of fouls, are being trialled in Australia.
The vests can also display more general information, like the amount of time left in a game. This gives players greater confidence in their team鈥檚 tactics, say the researchers involved.
The simple, coloured display panels are attached to each vest and connected to a small computer, about the size of an iPod, strapped to each player鈥檚 body. These computers communicate wirelessly with a central control system, installed at the side of the court, which keeps track of all relevant statistics as the game goes on.
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鈥淭eam sports uniforms already communicate information visually,鈥� like a player鈥檚 name, says Mitchell Page, who developed the system at the University of Sydney. 鈥淲e wanted to augment the existing team sports uniform model to communicate more relevant information, such as a player鈥檚 stats and performance.鈥�
Page developed TeamAwear (for 鈥渢eam sports awareness wearable display鈥�) with colleague Andrew Vande Moere. They have tested it during 2-on-2 basketball games with referees, coaches and a small crowd all present.
Shot clock
Luminescent bars running up the side of a vest indicate the points scored by each player, while lines on their shoulders show the number of fouls against them. Panels on each player鈥檚 chest indicate when the game time or shot clock is running low, and panels on their back show which team is winning.
鈥淩esults were extremely positive,鈥� Page told New 杏吧原创. 鈥淲e found that spectators benefited the most 鈥� understanding and even enjoying the game a whole lot more than usual.鈥�
He adds that players also enjoyed wearing the displays, using them to judge when to play aggressively or more conservatively. 鈥淭hey used the time limit displays to gauge when to pick up the pace of the game,鈥� Page says.
鈥淸TV] spectators have all sorts of complex on-screen graphics and charts or graphs,鈥� he adds. 鈥淲e wanted to empower local spectators with this same information.鈥�
Professional game
TeamAwear was tested using basketball because player-specific information changes rapidly during the sport and because no physical contact is involved. But Page believes football, soccer, volleyball, netball, cricket and boxing could all benefit from similar outfits.
The researchers plan to improve their design and to fully integrate the wearable computers into the vest. Further tests are also planned: 鈥淲e would like to try them in a professional game situation and see the results,鈥� says Page.
Sharon Baurley, who works on intelligent textiles at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, UK, agrees that 鈥渟ome people would love this technology.鈥�
To be successful, however, she says the vest panels will need improving. 鈥淯sing electroluminescent panels is quite crude,鈥� Baurley says. Weaving fibres that are made from advanced materials that can light up would be even better, she suggests: 鈥淭hey can be soft and more flexible, like a normal textile.鈥�
