With the Champions Trophy kicking off this week, Intel has announced a new partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to provide a host of new in-game data points to fans watching live broadcasts of the games from this event.
On the pitch during the competition, Intel will be using its coin-sized Curie compute module that processes wireless data with motion sensors as part of a bat sensor. The bat sensor was developed with Speculur and its product called BatSense. The lightweight device fits into a sleeve covering the bat handle and can be fitted on the bottom of any cricket bat to measure data in real-time for every stroke a cricket batsman plays.
Back-lift angle, maximum bat speed, follow-through angle, impact angle, bat speed at impact, time to impact, 3D swing and plane path can be tracked for every stroke. According to Intel, several batsmen will use the sensors during the games. This data can then be displayed within televised broadcasts to see more accurately how a batter is performing.
Also, a drone, called the Falcon 8, will be flying around the pitch with high-definition and infrared cameras to provide data to broadcasters to inform fans about pitch analysis. It can also provide a mapping system that captures visual data on field conditions.
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The ICC had previously named Intel an “Innovation Partner” in April, and this partnership builds on the company’s previous efforts to capture athletes data at the 2016 Winter X Games and Red Bull X-Fighters events.
“The innovations we’re working with Intel on for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 are like nothing we’ve seen in the sport before,” ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said in a statement.
Speculur Managing Director Atul Srivastava said in a statement: “Coaches can use their insights and expertise along with the bat sensor data to make specific adjustments to a batsman’s technique ultimately helping him perform better.”
Speculur also plans to bring BatSense product and companion app to consumers in Australia, India, the U.S. and the U.K. in the second half of this year.
“You win or lose a game of cricket by scoring [more] score runs than the opposition,” said Anuj Dua in a separate interview, director of business development and marketing at Intel. “But measuring and analyzing those runs have been largely under explored. That’s about to change.”
Meanwhile for a VR experience for fans attending the event, Intel is setting up at fan zones at two of the most iconic cricketing grounds in the U.K. — The Oval and Edgbaston — for them to virtually face off against a bowler. Using a VR headset, fans swing a cricket bat fitted with the Curie compute module that analyzes the swing, bat speed and more.
Intel has termed the the ICC Champions Trophy as the first “smart cricket tournament,” thanks to the new in-game data and fan experience it is providing. The Trophy sees eight countries competing over 18 days across three stadiums in the U.K. The last tournament was held in 2013, also in the U.K. and was won by cricketing powerhouse, India, which beat England in the final.