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- 69 - Megatrend: AI at Wimbledon
Welcome sports innovators to the future of sport.
Wimbledon is upon us, and the buzz word is AI!
Are umpires going to be replaced?
Are tennis rackets going to be revolutionized?
Let’s see:
All Design Lab: Experimenting with AI-inspired Tennis Rackets
With our initial dip into DALL·E, we wanted to further explore AI but now, in terms of 3D design. Our exploration led to many iterations that created a structurally sound object and a naturally lighter one through the absence of material. So, we took the iterations made from the AI and refined them through our own 3D modeling process to create Hìtëkw's shape. Potentially, in practice and real-life physical testing, a racket similar to Hìtëkw could introduce a new level of performance to players.
Learn more here 👈🧠👀
IBM: AI powered commentary
At this year’s Wimbledon, which starts on July 3, tennis fans will also be able to try IBM’s AI Draw Analysis feature that analyzes existing data to produce a statistic defining how favorable the path to the final might be for each player in the Wimbledon singles draw.
IBM has worked with Wimbledon for a number of years, using its technology to bring new and engaging features to the popular tennis tournament. Last year, for example, it launched a feature called Win Factors, offering fans a greater understanding of the elements affecting player performance, such as court surface, ATP/WTA rankings, head-to-head history, ratio of games won, recent performance, yearly success, and media punditry.
Learn more here 👈🧠👀
WIMBLEDON x FORTNITE
Seems like the most bizarre collaboration but it works.
With the intention of reaching a younger demographic, Wimbledon created an experience on Fortnite called Race to Wimbledon. Players are tasked with running, driving, flying or using their best parkour moves to get through Wimbledon Village and arrive at the Centre Court as quickly as they can. Throughout the experience, players will virtually pass iconic London landmarks like Big Ben and the London Eye and dodge obstacles in the form of tennis rackets and strawberries.
Fortnite has emerged as the go-to choice for brands that want to connect with younger audiences in the metaverse and capitalize on its widespread popularity and interactive nature.
Learn more here 👈🧠👀
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Koalaa: Making tennis accessible
Since she was a little girl Joanie had a dream - to play tennis.
Due to a congenital limb condition from birth, her left arm has failed to fully develop, meaning she initially struggled to throw the ball up to serve.
But thanks to her new prosthetic arm, the nine-year-old from south Oxfordshire can now play her favourite sport and has recently won her first ever tournament.
BBC Breakfast surprised Joanie and her dad with a special message from three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray.
Learn more here 👈🧠👀
Nimbus: Weighted Table Tennis Bats
Yes, ok, not strictly tennis, but at least its racket related.
To be honest, we found little else that was really interesting in the tennis gear world ready for Wimbledon. Seems like tennis brands are not really evolving as quickly as other sports.
Anyway
Introducing the Nimbus, The more weight that is added onto the Nimbus, the more control that it allows. The ability to alter the weight creates better gameplay and can also be replaced with a tracking module to help measure racket trajectory for post-game analysis.
Learn more here 👈🧠👀
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