Rather than ask players from his favorite soccer club, Everton F.C., to visit him while he lay ill at home, a young British fan visited the athletes on their own turf—with the help of a robot.
Fox News reported Tuesday that 14-year-old Jack McLinden, who is unable to leave his house due to numerous health issues, became Everton’s “Matchday Mascot” through the use of an ad robot, a first in the sport.
The robot—designed by Norwegian firm No Isolation—was connected to McLinden’s iPad, allowing him to virtually hang out with the players in the dressing room and get a first-hand view of the players’ entrance onto the pitch. Everton captain Phil Jagielka held the robot as he led his squad into the stadium and shook hands with the game officials and opposition club Newcastle United.
And, much as athletes in the U.S. work with foundations like Make A Wish to visit children who are ill or invite them to attend a game, Everton F.C. worked with U.K.-based WellChild to coordinate McLinden’s experience.
That experience concluded, for the day, with a podium seat for head coach Sam Allardyce’s press conference.
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SportTechie Takeaway
The AV1 robot helped a fan who couldn’t get to the stadium have a unique matchday experience. But how could the development of this robot do even more for fans who, for similar or other reasons, can’t make it to a game? Perhaps the robot could be linked to the stadium’s video boards, allowing McLinden to see on a greater scale a stadium full of fans who could wave or cheer or send a nice message, à la Iowa Hawkeyes fans waving to the children in the hospital that overlooks the stadium.
Another possibility lies in the robots Manchester City introduced to enhance the fan experience. Those robots, designed by UBTECH in China, can talk, sing, and dance, opening up the possibility for sick fans to keep a piece of their favorite team at home with them.
Suggested further reading
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