Futurologist reveals how tech will change sports

By Rob Knight, 72Point via SWNS

A leading futurologist has revealed how tech will change sport - including AI training sessions, micro-technology skin implants, and Star Wars-style pod racing.

Dr. Ian Pearson, who has more than 1,800 inventions to his name - including text messaging - has predicted what innovations we can expect in sport in the coming decades.

The new tech will enable athletes to improve their performance and give fans the ultimate viewing experience – and wouldn’t look out of place in a sci-fi blockbuster.

And it's not just participants who will benefit from the enhancements.

Pearson, who has teamed-up with 888 Sport to share his insights, believes fans will be able to wear special glasses at sports events which display real-time stats and allow them to zoom in on the action.

Some gadgets are even likely to be commonplace within the next couple of years – including Star Wars-style pod racing which we can expect to see in 2025.

“Drone races would be a bit like pod racing in Star Wars," Pearson said.

“So that’s an emerging sport which could be regulated in a similar way to Formula 1.

“The drones would be restricted in terms of power to ensure competitors are on a level playing field.”

Numerous exciting developments are expected when it comes to improving the performance of athletes.

These include the introduction of augmented reality (AR) glasses to training sessions for elite footballers by 2025.

While it’s predicted the 2030s will see athletes wear electronics on - or even under - the skin to enhance their performance.

And tech called active skin - an example of sensing technology - will be used by pros to improve their technique in sports like tennis or golf, to help develop muscle memory for a particular action.

“AR glasses will adapt to what happens in real time, so I can see heavy use of augmented reality in training," Pearson said.

“Printing electronics straight onto the skin’s surface, or putting tiny electronic capsules into the skin, you can get direct access to your blood and your nervous system.

“This way, you can monitor exactly what’s happening inside your body at any given time and assess this with your coach to devise the best strategy for you based on this continuous data that is available in real time.

“Active skin would enhance how fast you’re learning quite considerably, and it would allow you to develop the muscle memory much faster.

“A younger athlete would be able to get to a good level in a few months instead of a few years.”

But it’s not all about the athletes – tech such as AR and AI will change how fans enjoy sport come 2027.

“For fans who are watching football for example, rather than participating simultaneously, future designs of AR glasses could be used to zoom in on a particular area of the pitch," Pearson said.

“You’ll be able to see the pitch from any angle and zoom as you like to see expressions and get closer to players.

“If you’re obsessed with statistics, you can have all the statistics you want in your field of view.

“Even if you’re in the stadium, you can still use this AR technology to improve your view while soaking up the atmosphere.

“Another option to give fans an entirely new view of football would be for the players to wear cameras in their kits to give fans the exact view of a player and to see where they’re looking.”

Other possible innovations include using boron to make sports equipment, improvements in how data is used to boost decision-making in athletes, and a technology-enhanced Olympics.

“We could see a technology-enhanced Olympics in 2050 where people are allowed to use all sorts of technologies," Pearson said.

“Whether it’s equipment, clothes, genetic enhancements, or smart drugs that are all available and could give athletes an advantage and may make some sports more exciting to watch.”