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In the current IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, but also generally in sports, a lot of athletes are using the latest technologies to boost their performance, either for coaching purposes or self-motivation. This gave me to think of what applications exist (next to Fitbits) that athletes and sports hobbyists can use to improve their performance. Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics play a big role here. AI can process big amounts of statistical data with almost no effort, it can even identify factors that improve sports performance that would be impossible to detect for humans.

Let’s take Tennis as an example. “Tennis In/Out” is a 199$ pocket-size device that detects the speed and placement of a shot via AI technologies. Via HD recordings you can learn from your mistakes and stop endless controversies with your opponent. A light and sound begin to signal when the ball is out. The device can also analyse the shot placements to improve personal performance. This device is currently a novel application for hobbyists and therefore at the moment rather expensive for personal use. (Gentil, 2019)

“PIQ”  is another application that can – with the help of information – improve your game. At the moment it is tailored to specific sports: Boxing, Kiteboarding, Skiing, Tennis, and Golf. The Device PIQ Robot is a small powerful Nano-computer that can analyse and capture thousands of data points in no time. With the help of a special machine learning platform, it then displays the exact performance of your game. In Tennis, for example, it can track your speed, spin, stroke type, your shot by shot performance and your progress. (PIQ, 2019)

The third example can extend your sports experience as it can reduce injury rates by 75%.  “Zone7” uses data and analytics to identify potential for injuries with athletes. Currently, this application is used for professional athletes rather than hobbyists. However, the technology is seen as a “real game changer” as it has the potential to “change the landscape for sports forever”. By using pattern recognition based on past performances and medical history of the user, Zone 7 can determine the best strategy for players, so they do not get injured. (Zone 7, 2019)

These three applications are examples of how information can be used to make your game better as your experience is enabled by data and algorithms. It can make sports more fun to compete with your friends and yourself. I think that AI in sports – in professional sports as well as hobby sports – will get more attention in the upcoming years. Such applications and its underlying technologies can specifically tell you where your winning factors are – they can be so insightful that it is almost cheating.

Bibliography:

Cambridge-design.com. (2019). How AI can help improve sports performance | CDP Blog. [online] Available at: https://www.cambridge-design.com/news-and-articles/blog/how-ai-can-help-improve-sports-performance [Accessed 15 Oct. 2019].

Gentil, G. (2019). In/Out: The Portable Ready-to-Use Line Call Device. [online] Inout.tennis. Available at: https://inout.tennis/en/index.htm [Accessed 15 Oct. 2019].

Piq.com. (2019). PIQ | Sport sensors that talk your language. [online] Available at: https://piq.com/ [Accessed 15 Oct. 2019].

Zone7. (2019). Predict Athlete Injuries – Zone7. [online] Available at: http://zone7.ai/# [Accessed 15 Oct. 2019].

 

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Today, 1 billion people are hungry in the world, which causes 40,000 hunger-related deaths every day. Additionally, 10 billion people are predicted to populate the planet by 2050. Shockingly to know that we have enough food on the planet to feed everyone, so producing more food does not solve the problem. “We rather need to change the way we produce food.”, as said by Phil Stevenson, a professor at the University of Greenwich’s Natural Resources Institute in Britain. Next to food insecurity and population growth, climate change also challenges farmers every year.

As a result, smart farming solutions are emerging within the agricultural industry. One force driving smart farming is IoT – the concept of connecting machines and sensors to make processes data-driven. IoT enables farms to optimize processes without spending unnecessary resources.  Within this, drones are used to manage agricultural processes. AI software analyzes these pictures, maps or collected data, thus farmers get to accurately evaluate and predict yields, they know which crops need more attention than others and therefore can use pesticides and fertilizers more effectively.  Next to drones, farmers make use of several sensors that gather data, analyze it and send it to mobile apps accessible to farmers at any time and place, so they can immediately act upon it.

Another technological improvement in this sector addresses animal farming. Who would have thought Fitbits are for cows too? Organizations in America are offering cow monitoring solutions – known as smart collars. They track cows’ movements and evaluate based on AI whether the cow might be sick and needs to be separated from the herd to prevent spreading of diseases. It can also track the cow’s heartbeat; this might be useful to predict when a pregnant cow might give birth.

Thus, IoT applications and animal “wearables” collect meaningful data for farmers to enhance productivity and sustainability in their products. These are only a few examples of how technology is disrupting the agricultural sector, affecting the environment as little as possible and hopefully meeting the demand for food even under extreme weather conditions.

Last year’s World Food Day’s theme was “Our actions are our future. A #ZeroHunger world by 2030 is possible”. Businesses are increasingly looking committing to innovative tech solutions to help completing this challenge. Let’s see what the future will bring.

 

 

References:

Floreano D, Wood RJ (2015) Science, technology and the future of small autonomous drones. Nature 521:460–466.

Smart Farming: Future of Agriculture, https://www.iotforall.com/smart-farming-future-of-agriculture/

Smart Farming or the future of agriculture: https://medium.com/sciforce/smart-farming-or-the-future-of-agriculture-359f0089df69

Going Deep On Food Tech: A Look At Digital Disruption In The Food Industry: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/297069