How Intel Are Changing the Boundaries of Technology in Cricket

The world’s largest manufacturer of semiconductor chips, Intel, has developed two technological innovations that will be introduced into cricket’s ICC Champions Trophy.

The tech giants have developed drones for analysing wickets and bats with sensors, as it seeks to transform the cricket experience for both players and fans.

The Falcon 8 Drone will produce visual data on wicket conditions such as grass cover, grass health and topology, which will be utilized to create daily reports. The high definition and infrared images of the pitches will allow for this improved analysis, which coached and commentators will have access to.  

In addition to this, the ICC Champions Trophy will also see several players using a new Speculur manufactured sensor, which is powered by Intel’s Curie technology, and can be mounted on to any cricket bat. The sensor enables data to be collected for every stroke played, capturing information on back-lift, bat speed and follow through.

Whilst this technology is currently only available to elite cricketers, there are plans to widen this out to the public in the United Kingdom, India, Australia and the United States later in 2017.

Intel is also showcasing Virtual Reality experiences at The Oval and Edgbaston, where fans can test their batting skills against a virtual bowler in a simulated environment. Using a head mounted display (HMD) and the sensor-enabled bat, fans will be able to analyse the parameters of their swing, as well as keep track of their score on the virtual wicket.