7 Reasons to Adopt IoT in Sports and Fitness

Sports technologies like Fitbits, smartwatches, playstations, smart televisions, smart arenas, VR glasses, and various other devices surround us. Whether you’re a physical fitness enthusiast, a professional athlete, or merely an individual who takes pleasure in sports, these Internet of Things (IoT) devices are very beneficial. Based upon a current research study by MarketsandMarkets, the dimension of the international IoT market is anticipated to increase from $300.3 billion in 2021 to $650.5 billion by 2026. Furthermore, significant sports brands like Adidas, Asics, and Under Armour have created their very own sports applications such as Edmondo along with Runtastic, to enter this market. IoT in sports, also known as sports tech, redefines operations, strategies, training, techniques, and even fan interaction, reshaping the culture of sports. 

Why the Adoption of IoT in Sports Industry is Essential?

Do you recall that smart IoT-powered cricket bat that Microsoft developed? That bat was equipped with a card-sized sensor that used motion sensors to gather immersive data such as angles, speed, swing, and more. When IoT in sports and machine learning algorithms are combined, precise data-based outcomes are obtained. Some of these algorithms have even been modified to measure performance and provide the same data to the user’s smartphone. 

Let’s explore why the adoption of IoT is essential in the sports industry.

1. Tracking Player Performance

Athletes can be monitored throughout the day with motion capture systems, heart rate monitors, anxiety monitoring systems (AMS), and inertial measurement units. The data collected is kept in the IoT cloud. 

The health issues that athletes experience, such as panic disorder, depression, persistent stress, mobility, cardiovascular disease, energy expenditure, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), are accurately identified by this data.

It can also improve overall sports performance by revealing physiological and psychological anxiety indicators in athletes. Coaches can easily process this data to obtain metrics on player efficiency, performance, and opponent vulnerabilities, allowing them to build better in-game strategies.

2. Exercise in Groups

People do not have to leave their homes to join group exercise sessions when IoT technology is used in sports. Such technologies allow people who cannot visit a gym in person to engage in virtual group training. To enable instructors to assist each member more quickly and to allow clients to view their movements, smart gyms use wireless sensors and gateways that run on batteries.
One example of a virtual group session is provided by the American workout equipment maker Peloton. They developed smart treadmills and stationary bikes so that users could train virtually at home with other bikers and runners in the same city.

3. Player Safety

IoT in sports and fitness enables wearable sensors and smart clothing to track real-time health, movements, and physical activity of the athlete. This helps coaches and medical staff to quickly find out injuries or signs of overexertion.

Additionally, IoT helps in detecting the health issues that could impact players’ safety like heart rates indicating potential heart problems. If an injury or medical crisis occurs, IoT devices can alert medical personnel automatically and share important information such as the player’s location and vital signs.

Motion Body Capture does the precise recording of full-body motion in 3D, with the help of IMU sensors, accelerometers, and gyro technology. Health and fitness trainers and instructors use this to get an extensive three-dimensional viewpoint of the body and analyze joint angles.

4. Fan Engagement

To improve fan engagement in sports events, stadiums need to come up with fresh concepts that align with the preferences of their fans. This involves utilizing fingerprints or cellphones to facilitate stadium entry and installing eye-catching digital displays to boost the excitement of the game. 

Fans can use their phones to instantly communicate their experiences, and drones can deliver goods quickly. Smart glasses can display game statistics to supporters, and loyalty programs reward stadium merchandise purchases. 

There are now sports jerseys that allow you to feel the action of a game through haptic vibrations. One such product is called “Jersey X” by the company Wearablex. Additionally, this company has introduced an alert system where fans can feel what the players feel during a game.

5. Smart Stadiums

IoT-based venue management solutions help stadiums run better. It helps the spectators to find their seats easily, gives updated event information, and facilitates quick incident response. Also, smart stadiums manage trash pickup, change cleaning schedules based on the number of visitors, and track bathroom water levels. It also keeps visitors safe and comfortable by adjusting humidity and temperature. Smart stadiums spot dangers fast, like fires or vandalism.

Levi’s Stadium, which uses battery-operated beacons for food ordering and seat positioning is an excellent example of a smart stadium. Also, the Tour de France uses a digital twin and real-time data to improve event management and fan interaction.

6. Smart Equipment

Using smart equipment in the highly competitive sports world is a winner. This includes wireless IoT sensors in objects like golf clubs, basketballs, bats, and rackets that could create more new opportunities.

These sensors enable the coaches to track, monitor, and evaluate player performance, which is an important tool for improving skill and fitness. For example, basketball players use sensors built into their basketballs to detect every move they make on the court. This, in turn, improves their shooting accuracy and tactical play. 

Baseball players enhance their hitting approach by evaluating data like the force and speed of their swings. By using club sensors to measure shot distance and monitor improvement over time, golfers improve their game in the interim.

This data is useful for customizing the training programs and aids injury prevention and performance optimization. Major football leagues like the English Premier League and La Liga are already utilizing smart equipment to gain a competitive edge in the sports world.

7. Improved Data Visualization and Analysis

Data from various sources such as wireless gateways is sent to IoT cloud solutions like AWS IoT Core, Microsoft Azure IoT Hub, and GCP Cloud IoT Core using a secure network. This data is then processed to generate accurate, real-time statistical IoT analytics. 

To achieve this, suitable AI/ML managed services like AWS Kinesis, AWS Glue, Microsoft’s Azure AI & ML, and GCP’s AI & AutoML are deployed based on the problem statement, training data sets, and usage. 

Dynamic data visualization tools are then used to illustrate real-time insights of athletes in mobile and web applications. Applications like Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, Google Data Studio, Zoho One, and Qlik Sense are highly regarded in this area. With this comprehensive approach, athletes and fans can make data-driven decisions, improve performance, and create engaging experiences.

In Short:

From organizing tournaments and events in smart stadiums to capitalizing on sponsorships, merchandise, and other additional revenue streams, IoT in sports and fitness can be effectively used to improve the industry in a variety of ways. We have an extensive experience in offering IoT development services. We are always committed to providing our clients with the most profitable and valuable solutions.

If you are looking to create an IoT application tailored to the sports industry, let TA assist you in meeting your requirements.