One Court’s Haptic Mini-Field Enables Blind Fans to Follow the Game by Touch

As sports fans, we often take it for granted that we can watch our favorite games on TV or live at the venue. However, for those with blind and low vision, this experience is often limited to relying on announcers or radio broadcasts. But what if there was a way to enhance their experience and provide them with a more immersive and engaging experience?

The Problem: Accessible Sports Broadcasting

While radio broadcasts are better than nothing, they can be delayed by 10 to 30 seconds, which can make it difficult for viewers to keep up with the action. Moreover, live announcers often lack the spatial detail that sighted fans take for granted. Fortunately, many major league sports broadcast the exact real-time locations of players and balls along with video and audio. However, this information is not always accessible to visually impaired fans.

OneCourt’s Solution: A Haptic Display

This is where OneCourt comes in – a team of recent University of Washington graduates who are working on a lap-top miniature field that allows someone to feel the position of players and balls in near real-time. The company was showcasing their technology at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, and we had the chance to try it out.

How It Works

The OneCourt team takes the real-time location data from sports broadcasts and transmits it to a haptic display with a touchable cover imitating the pitch or field lines. The device is battery-powered and laptop-sized, making it easy to use in any setting. When you place your hands flat on the "field," the movements of the main characters of the play (quarterback, receiver, ball) are transmitted via vibrations that shift around with a reasonable amount of fidelity.

Testing the Device

We tested the device briefly on a demo game at the OneCourt booth at CES. The experience was surprisingly immersive and engaging. We could tell when a player had caught a pass and was running up the left side, but we couldn’t quite determine how close he was to the paint. Different intensities and patterns corresponded to various events like snaps, tackles, and so on.

Adapting to Other Sports

OneCourt’s technology can easily be adapted to other sports since most use similarly rectangular spaces and often transmit player data. According to OneCourt CTO Andrew Buckingham, they hope to offer sponsored devices free at venues, similar to subtitle displays or audio descriptions at the movie theater.

The Potential for Impact

Imagine being able to fully participate in a game without relying on delayed broadcasts or live announcers. Imagine being able to feel the excitement of the crowd and the energy of the game without having to wait for the recap. This is what OneCourt’s technology can provide – a more immersive, engaging experience that is equal to that of sighted fans.

The Future: Raising a Seed Round

OneCourt has already received interest from some in the business and is working towards raising a seed round over the next few months. This funding will help them take their business and hardware to the next level. With this technology, OneCourt has the potential to revolutionize the sports experience for visually impaired fans.

Conclusion

OneCourt’s haptic display is an innovative solution that can enhance the sports experience for visually impaired fans. By providing a more immersive and engaging experience, OneCourt has the potential to make a significant impact on accessibility in the sports industry. With their technology, OneCourt is breaking down barriers and creating new opportunities for everyone to enjoy the thrill of the game.

Related Topics:

• Accessibility: The importance of making technology accessible to people with disabilities.
• CES 2024: A showcase of innovative technologies and products from around the world.
• Gadgets: New and exciting devices that are changing the way we live and work.
• Hardware: The latest developments in computer hardware and electronics.
• OneCourt: A company working on a haptic display for visually impaired sports fans.
• Sports: The intersection of technology and sports, with a focus on accessibility.