Panasonic used the par-3 16th hole at its Asian Tour event in Noda, Japan last month to debut and demonstrate its sports analysis technology that provides a broadcast solution for delivering real-time heart rate data without a wearable device or physical contact.
Using contactless vital sensing technology, in cooperation with the BS-TBS network,Panasonic was able to estimate a golfer’s heart rate at the Panasonic Open based upon his facial images captured with a video camera. A computer then analyzed the subtle color changes on the player’s face caused by vascular constriction to provide the heart rate estimate.
That real-time data was then used in a graphic on a video board that coupled it with live action, and spectators were able to see a spike in heart rate as golfers took swings. Possibly adding to the adrenaline, the 16th hole at the course is modeled after the famous 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale where fans are known to get rowdy.
“By making the level of nervousness/tension athletes are feeling visible, the audience will be able to enjoy a dramatic broadcast like never before,” read a Panasonic press release that highlighted how fans would be able to experience athletes’ vitals at Chiba Country Club’s Umesato Course.
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Instantly estimating heart rate using facial analysis rather than a wearable device provides a new dimension for sports broadcasting and also a sports industry that is in the middle of deal-making that determines how biometric data is gathered and commercialized.
With the technology four years in the making, Tomita Hiroto of the Panasonic Image Solution Development Department said in Japanese he wants to further develop and improve the system before the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and that the system could be used in the healthcare industry.