The University of Alabama will look to build upon the on-field success of the Crimson Tide by quite literally putting them to the test–one that involves the scientific method.
In opening the Integrative Center for Athletic and Sport Technology, or I-CAST, UA seeks to create a unique space in the world of sports research aided by the prowess of their on-campus athletic programs.
The center will explore current and new technology in sports with the goal of alleviating and rehabilitating injuries as well as boosting athletic performance, according to a UA press release.
UA claims I-CAST is “the first such research center in the nation,” although similar programs exist at other American universities. The Mark Cuban Center for Sports Media Technology at Indiana University Bloomington, the Dallas Mavericks owner’s Alma Mater, shares a lot of the same words in its title as I-CAST but focuses more broadcasting games from the sidelines, not the technology on the field.
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The center will seek to further investigate topics including virtual reality, the medical applications of 3D printing and ways of electronically recording biometric data, according to the release.
The center is a fitting addition to Alabama’s sports-centric reputation. The University has already been at the forefront of athletic technology, pioneering an easy-to-assemble tent, the “SidelinER” used to give better care and more privacy to injured athletes. Furthermore, the center will consider the broader implications of the research set to be completed at I-CAST.
Outside of the United States, the Sports Technology Institute at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom is like-minded in its mission to “have a positive global, social and economic impact on sport through excellent engineering research, teaching and enterprise,” as stated on their website. Loughborough even hosted a Tennis match with MIT earlier this year with ties to MIT’s Sports Technology Education Initiative.
What is clear is that I-CAST is a unique endeavor. In studying their beloved Crimson Tide, the University of Alabama may have created the perfect storm to uncover valuable technology applicable in the sports world and beyond.