With each passing year technology advances at an exponential rate, and as a result we continuously see innovative new products across all industries pop up on the market. Sports are no different, with technology playing an increasingly important role in everything from equipment to rule-implementation. Gadgets that wouldn’t have been dreamed of just a few short years ago quickly become a part of everyday life, while ways of consuming professional sport are changing faster than you can say Kayo, so with that in mind we’ve decided to take a look at the most innovative sports products in 2021.
Hawk-Eye
Hawk-Eye first came into our lives in the early parts of this century, but over the past two decades it has become an increasingly integral part of the officiation of many different sports. It has also continued to develop from a technological standpoint, and though there are still sceptics, the doubts cast over its precision appear to be fewer and further between than they once were. The importance of accuracy at the top level is significant for many reasons – perhaps most notable among these is the integrity of the sports, but those who enjoy jumping on the plethora of gambling websites and betting apps in Australia must surely also enjoy the fact that poor umpiring decisions now have much less potential to influence the outcome of a match, as must dedicated fans and probably the umpires themselves, given it takes a degree of pressure off them.
Hawk-Eye is used perhaps most notably in tennis, cricket and soccer, but it also plays a role in snooker, Gaelic football and badminton. While some have criticised the delay it invariably places on the game in which it’s used, its implementation is something that would have been impossible to imagine until recently. That we can use technology to determine with a very high degree of certainty what would happen to a ball after it hits a batter’s pads and thus whether they should be out LBW has the potential to be incredibly useful, and is arguably the biggest development in professional sports in recent memory. It’s taken some time to get our heads around, but this is one of the most innovative products in the sporting world today.
VEJA CONDOR Running Shoe
One of six recipients of last year’s ISPO Product of the Year Award, this running shoe excels not only in performance, but also in terms of how it is produced. The ISPO Award placed a significant emphasis on sustainability in 2020, and it’s in that area that this shoe made its mark. Recognised as the world’s first post-petroleum shoe, the VEJA CONDOR uses an incredible mix of materials. Of the 53% of the shoe which is made from natural raw and recycled material, things like natural rubber and recycled plastic are perhaps the most expected, but aside from that this company has come up with some extremely resourceful ways to manufacture a shoe – included in its production is race waste, sugar cane and banana oil amongst other things.
Of course, this is all well and good but if the shoe isn’t comfortable or supportive no one will buy it. Fortunately for VEJA, the CONDOR can hold a candle to plenty of far more well-known shoe brands, and is marketed as being suitable for anyone from beginners through to half-marathon runners. Not bad for a shoe made with banana oil.
Fliteboard Electric Hydrofoil
The concept of hydrofoils is not a new one – in fact the first evidence of a prototype appeared way back in 1869 – but their development in water sports has been significant in recent years. Nowadays, go to a mellow surf spot and it’s likely you’ll see someone surfing just like everyone else, except that they are on a board hovering a couple of feet above the water. This is because they have a foil, a small piece of equipment attached to the board which sits in the water and does the hard work while the rider glides above.
Electric hydrofoils take this to a new level, allowing you to float across the water on a board without the need to create your own speed. Picture a seabird flying just above the surface of the ocean – it’s not something humans would typically expect to experience, but now they can. Fliteboard is a start-up born out of Byron Bay which is leading innovation within an already innovative market, and their electric hydrofoil is something to behold. Claiming to provide the ‘sensation of flying’, their board differs from other electric hydrofoils in that the motor is built into the product itself and as a result does not need to be dis- and re-assembled. It’s also marketed as being environmentally friendly and emission free, and given it makes zero noise, those worried about disturbing the underwater environment can rest easy.
These are just a handful of things in what is a significant pool of innovating sporting products which exist today. In both the professional and amateur sporting world, technology is enabling the development of a huge range of innovations, and that isn’t something that looks like slowing down anytime soon.
