The ATP and ATP Media partnered with Sports Data Labs to complete a successful trial of real-time, medical grade biometric sensors at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. that concluded earlier this week.
Roger Federer captured the crown on Sunday at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. According to the ATP, real-time biometric data was captured during the two-week tournament. Sports Data Labs provides the infrastructure to allow for in-game capture, analysis and distribution of real-time human data, enabling sports organizations to unlock the value of that data.
“These are very early days in this field, and this ground-breaking trial focussed on using a variety of third party, high resolution, medical grade sensors on an elite athlete at a tournament to wirelessly transmit real time Biomechanical and Biometric data directly to a single platform, achieving something that has never been done before,” Shane Warden, Director of Broadcast and Technology, ATP Media, said in a statement.
“Basic biometric and biomechanical data acquisition is not new, but this test proves in an intensely radio frequency hostile environment that high resolution, medical grade measurements can be transmitted wirelessly to a device agnostic system that will process insights in real time. From this test, we can begin the next stage of development of both the platform and next generation sensors through consultation with Players and their Teams.”
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The SDL platform is unique in its ability to integrate directly with medical grade sensors and bypassing their native software, according to the ATP. SDL envisions that its all-in-one solution will provide an easy way to work with multiple wearable sensors while enabling the ability to swap out technologies easily as new ones come to market.
“We are excited to be supporting ATP Media and the ATP on their pioneering initiatives to unlock the value of biometric and biomechanical data for all stakeholders within the ATP tennis ecosystem,” Sports Data Labs CEO Mark Gorski said in a statement. “Advancements in data technologies are outpacing sports organizations’ ability to use them. Our agnostic and open approach allows organizations to adopt the best technology at any given time and seamlessly work with multiple third-party sensors through a single application.”
Added Gorski: “We look forward to partnering with advanced hardware and other technology providers to continually enhance the overall value to our clients.”
Next, ATP and ATP Media will consult with players and teams in order to aim to develop a common set of measurements and derived insights that would ultimately lead to optimized medical grade sensors and possibly the standardization of measured biometric data in sports. As part of ATP Media’s big data initiative , biometric data could lead to services for player performancea and development while also enhancing broadcasts, ATP Media COO Stuart Watts said in a statement.
“This was an important first step to take with Sports Data Labs,” Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said in a statement. “While we are still in an early developmental stage, we look forward to making further strides in this exciting area which has the potential to benefit player training and performance, as well as enriching the fan experience through enhanced data.”