Tech Wonder at FIFA World Cup 2022

The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar has emerged as an unparalleled extravaganza and has set the stage very high for the coming world cups and even other games. For the first time in the history of sports, the emerging technologies like AI, Embedded Systems and many more, have played an integral role in the success of the tournament. With this striking risk of tech implementation, Qatar has testified that - it is adopting the idea that change comes from deliberate activity rather than chance development.

Here are some of the exemplary executions that we could figure out from the Qatar World Cup 2022:

FIFA FOOTBALL - AL RIHLA
Al Rihla which means “The Journey” is literally one of the balls of its kind that humans would have imagined. 

• The Adidas Suspension System is in the centre to hold and stabilise 500 Hz Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) motion sensor
• IMU tracks every movement of the ball & sends out data at the rate of 500 times/sec 
• This sensor detects the unclear touches and identifies offside situations
• It provides precise ball movement data in real time to Video Match Officials.

SEMI-AUTOMATED OFFSIDE TECHNOLOGY 

With accurate and speedy decision making of tricky offside situations, technology has added the flavour of transparency in the game. 

• For faster and more accurate offside decisions, 12 dedicated cameras in the stadium track the ball & up to 29 data points for each player, 50 times per second 
• Using Artificial Intelligence, 29 data points that capture the data of all limbs and extremities relevant for offside calls.

FACIAL RECOGNITION & ANIMATION
Moment recreation and dynamic movement tracking were never imagined to work like this.

• All the cameras in the stadiums can detect & recognize faces of the players.
• The positional data points used to make the decision are generated into a 3D animation on the stadium’s screen to recreate the moment.

FIFA PLAYER APP - Native Technology 

Players can gauge their on-field performance at their fingertips after every match. 

• Enhanced data and intelligence metrics regarding physical fitness.
• Capture information like whether a player moved to receive the ball, the pressure they applied to an opponent, receiving locations, and more.

BRAILLE ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORM
In this game, technology had a lot to offer but the biggest offering came like a blessing to differently abled people. 

• Visually impaired fans can enjoy FIFA World Cup 2022 with Bonocle Entertainment Platform and Feelix Palm just like everyone else.
• Bonocole uses transcoding functionalities and Bluetooth technologies to create the experience. 
• Feelix Palm, a palm communicator with tactile features, uses electric impulses to offer braille-like messages 

ADVANCED COOLING TECHNOLOGY
The last but the most impactful technology contribution was towards sustainability.

• A sustainable technology innovation to keep the stadium at about 20 °C 
• Warm air is sucked into the stadium’s cooling system, cleaned by water, re-cooled, filtered out, and pumped out again by the jets
• Under-seat diffusers push air out at an angle to deliver it gently.
• Sensors around the stadium will keep the temperature constant

Technology has truly changed almost every facet of the Football World Cup 2022. It has transformed the game and has brought the game to a level that one couldn't have imagined. This is what Technology does if implemented rightly, it creates wonder in the ecosystem. But had it been the other way round, it can be equally detrimental to any system, organisation or business. So right execution is the key to ensure successful Digital Transformation Technologies and that is where our expertise lies.