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Innovations and Technology in Sport
Several innovations occured over the last century in sport. From simply technology like the radio to complicated programs like Movement Capture software, and Gatorade to Under Armour each has impacted the way we view, participate in, and appreciate sports. -
Golf Ball Dimples
Early golf balls consisted of leather bags filled with boiled goose feathers. It was not until 1845 that they were made from the gum of an exotic tree. This created a completely smooth ball that could travel much farther distances than the earlier model.
However, golfers realized that the ball traveled even farther after it had been used (i.e. dented). In 1905, a golf ball manufacturer, William Taylor, was the first person to intentionally add dimples to his golf balls design.
-golflink.com -
Radio Brodcasting of Sports Events
As radios began to be mass produced and more accessible to the public, the public's ability to stay connected increased. The first radio broadcasted sporting event was a boxing match and with the convenience of the radio the masses no longer had to wait for the news to travel to them, they received it instantly. This was a definite break through in sports because it allowed the fans to stay informed about their favorite teams even if they moved far away. -
Invention of a Radar Speed Gun
Originally created for use during war the Radar gun was first used to capture speed in 1954 when Bryce K. Brown invented the Radar speed gun. Its first implementation was in the monitoring of vehicle speed. Around the same time, they became popular in baseball for determining how fast a pitcher could throw or a batter could hit. And now they have become and intergral part of the sport; radar guns are used regularly in scouting, during practices, and officail games. -
Application of Instant Replay
First used by CBC on their Hockey Night in Canada program, instant replay has developed form a fun thing for fans to a must-have for every professional sport. However, the first use of actual instant replay did not occur until Dec. 7, 1963 in the annual Army-Navy game. The instant replay as we know it today was used in this game, broadcast on CBS, and was invented by CBS sports director Tony Verna.
-bleacherreport.com -
Original Gatorade
Gatorade After meeting with the asst.coach of the University of Florida's football team, 4 scientists endevoured to find out what was causing the players to "wilt". They discovered that it was 2 main factors: loss of electrolytes and depletion of carbs. So with this in mind they created a drink with the balance of both missing elements to help replenish the athletes after exercise. -gatorade.com -
Kinesio Tape- 1979
As an effective way of supporting muscles and joints, Kinesio taping was developed based on the body’s own natural healing processes. Most commonly, it is used for preventative maintenance and in treating athletic injuries. In the 1979, Dr. Kenzo Kase developed the Kinesio tape concept to help treat injuries without inhibiting the range of motion.This is particularly important for athletes that still participate in their sport or in training inspite of their injury, -youandhealth.com -
Under Armour- 1996
Under Armour was founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank. The basic concept created by Plank started as a simple t-shirt made using high tech fabrics. The high tech fabric: wicks moisture away from the skin, keeping people dry, reduces sweat and regulates body temperature due to breathability, and is light weight and comfortable. He believed that if athletes could be dry and the moisture wicking ability could help regulate temperature they would perform better. – wrytestuff.com -
Speedo FASTSKIN Series 2000-2008
FASTSKIN The launching the revolutionary FASTSKIN® swimsuit with Its award winning sharkskin-based design was eagerly received by elite swimmers world wide. As the years progressed Speedo continued to improve on its design, coming out with FASTSKIN II, FASTSKIN-Pro, and its most recent addition: FASTSKIN LZR Racer. Their latest design is acclaimed to be the fast suite ever. -speedo.com -
Motion Capture Technology (Mocap)
Created by Dr. Julian Morris, Michael Birch, Dr. Paul Smyth and Paul Tate for the intention of using it for movies, motion capture technology (Mocap) Is a good demonstration of the tie between sports and technology. Used for a variety of reasons in the sports field, Mocap can be used in to assess an athlete’s gait and body placement during activity. This has also opened the door to the world of 1st person sport video games allowing the fan to play as though they were their favorite athlete. -
Introduction of Gatorade G-Series
G-Series commercial
Debuted in Feb. 5th 2010, a hydration system developed by Gatorade, the G-series focuses on hydrating the body for its specific states of activity: prepping for physical activity, during the actual activity, and recovering from the activity. This specific system equips the athlete to properly train and function before and after exercise, helping with focus, endurance, and recovery.
