The Super Bowl, an annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), is hailed as one of America’s most iconic sporting events. It is a match between the champions of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC), with the winner being dubbed the “world champion.” Typically held on the last Sunday in January or the first Sunday in February, the day is famously known as Super Bowl Sunday.
More than just a sporting event, the Super Bowl is a cultural extravaganza. On game day, people not only watch the match but also indulge in various Super Bowl-related activities and entertainment, such as concerts, food, and parties. The Super Bowl has consistently been one of the highest-rated television programs in the United States and has gradually evolved into an unofficial national holiday. Additionally, Super Bowl Sunday ranks as the second-highest day for food consumption in the United States, second only to Thanksgiving.
RFID in the Super Bowl
In today’s digital age, the sports industry is keeping pace with technological advancements, continuously applying high-tech solutions to game analysis and player training. Nowadays, every NFL game venue is equipped with an advanced MotionWorks tracking system, including 20 to 30 ultra-wideband receivers, as well as RFID tags embedded in players’ shoulder pads, referees, pylons, goalposts, chains, and even the football itself. Thus, during a game, there are approximately 250 devices operating in the stadium, requiring three operators to ensure that all tracking systems function properly on game day.
This tracking system captures player data ten times per second, including their position, speed, distance traveled, and acceleration, down to individual movement trajectories accurate to a few inches. The raw data generates player engagement reports and performance metrics, further enhanced into advanced statistics using Amazon Web Services (AWS) machine learning technology.
According to Zebra Technologies, the MotionWorks system can pinpoint the location of players and the football within approximately a 6-inch range, capturing player positions 12 times per second and ball positions 25 times per second. This technology has played a crucial role in NFL games, as since 2017, the NFL has partnered with AWS to explore advanced data analytics using AWS machine learning technology.
The application of RFID in sports matches enables real-time capture of dynamic player data, which is then converted into actionable statistical information, providing coaches with real-time player statistics for in-game adjustments. Additionally, the statistics seamlessly integrate with graphic systems, allowing fans to access real-time player statistics through algorithms during live broadcasts and replays, providing fans with more accurate and comprehensive viewing experiences. It can be said that the Super Bowl is increasingly reliant on RFID technology.
The application of RFID in sports matches has not only driven a data analytics revolution in the sports industry but also provided fans with a more in-depth and comprehensive game experience. In this digital age, we have every reason to believe that future sports matches will become even more exciting and intelligent.
To learn more about the application of RFID in various fields, feel free to scan the QR code to register for the Shanghai RFID Passive IoT Ecological Seminar, to be held in April this year. Representatives and experts from various industries will gather to discuss the latest applications of RFID.
This paper is from Ulink Media, Shenzhen, China, the organizer of IOTE EXPO (IoT Expo in China)
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