Fans attending Detroit Lions games at Ford Field can use an innovative new feature in the team’s official app to find directions to their seats or locate restrooms, concessions and merchandise vendors.
Pittsburgh-based developer YinzCam, which launched the Lions app in 2012, incorporated Apple Indoor Positioning to help fans navigate the downtown Detroit venue. The Lions are now the first NFL team to incorporate this feature, which became available for their Thanksgiving day home game against the Minnesota Vikings. The groundwork for this tech was installed during the stadium’s $100 million offseason renovation.
“Before we had our map, we had a lot of fans who would ask simple questions, like ‘Where is the elevator?’ or ‘Where is the restroom?’ But this map has everything layered into it,” Todd Marcy, the Lions’ Director of Digital Operations, said in a press release. “YinzCam’s custom development also provides us with a lot of flexibility, so that we can quickly go in and modify the locations within the map, adding a new concession stand or menu, depending on what type of event is taking place on a particular day.”
Through our collaboration, the #Lions became the first team in the #NFL to implement @apple Indoor Positioning into their iOS app, an important consideration as part of the stadium’s $100 million renovation during the offseason. By simply accepting the app request for location services, Lions fans will see their current position on the app’s interactive map, identified by a blue dot that moves throughout the venue as they do. An intuitive filtering system allows them to select from a variety of new clubs, bars and popular #Detroit restaurants now represented inside the stadium, and even view the menu of local flavors offered. Upon selecting their desired destination, a dotted line appears pointing the way. The way-finding feature also recognizes when fans move from one level of #FordField to the next, changing the view to show their exact location at all times, and displaying the nearest restrooms, merchandise or concession stands. The Lions plan to expand the range of the interactive #map in the future to include additional attractions outside of the stadium, such as the team’s tailgate on Brush Street, zip line and food trucks. “Before we had our map, we had a lot of fans who would ask simple questions, like ‘Where is the elevator?’ or ‘Where is the restroom?’ But this map has everything layered into it,” said Todd Marcy, the Lions’ Director of Digital Operations. “YinzCam’s custom development also provides us with a lot of flexibility, so that we can quickly go in and modify the locations within the map, adding a new concession stand or menu, depending on what type of event is taking place on a particular day.”Get The Latest Sports Tech News In Your Inbox!
YinzCam has also inserted augmented reality into the Lions’ app, with fans able to put themselves on the cover of EA Sports’ Madden NFL video game or apply virtual face paint.
“We are proud of our relationship with the Detroit Lions and are continually impressed with the innovative ideas that they come up with for their mobile app,” Priya Narasimhan, CEO and Founder of YinzCam, said in the release. “We are also thankful for our partnership with Apple, whose mapping and technology inspires Detroit fans to explore and fully experience all that Ford Field has to offer.”