The Top 5 Sports Advancements That Need Inventing
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) -- The world of science is evolving at an incredible rate.
A fully automated motor vehicle is currently navigating Mars, a planet sitting over 33,000,000 miles from Earth.
Advancements in medicine are allowing fully functional organs to be grown from human stem cells.
And the world's fastest computer can complete over 33 trillion calculations per second.
But where are the advancements in sports? Surely the technology can be used to improve player performance and the fan experience!
Here are 5 sports advancements that have yet to be invented.
1. A Positional Football Sensor
The irony is incredible.
An official estimates the forward progress of an 11-inch football from a distance many yards away amid a pile of 300-pound athletes.
And when it's close? We bring out a very precise and accurate chain system to measure the spot -- within millimeters.
Let's fix this inconsistency by creating a sensor-filled ball that electronically determines the EXACT spot of the ball.
It's a "game of inches", right? Let's start officiating it the same way.
2. A Wearable Hydration Monitor
Athletes often suffer cramps and dehydration-related fatigue during sporting events. As technology evolves, so should our understanding of the human body.
By monitoring the real-time hydration level of an athlete, we could predict and treat cramps and fatigue before dehydration hits.
Some athletes -- namely LeBron James -- might embrace the idea.
3. A Visual Strike Zone
Should the strike zone be different game-to-game, umpire-to-umpire, and essentially pitch-to-pitch. The obvious answer is no.
Imagine a visual strike zone, one that fans can actually see and embrace. A planar rectangle of light (think hologram) positioned over the strike zone that reacts with color variations when a ball enters the zone.
It sounds a bit futuristic, but it also sounds functional and entertaining.
Convincing the purists that run baseball that it's worthy -- not likely.
4. Player-Mounted Cameras
The WNBA debuted a new camera system last season that allowed fans to observe play from the perspective of the head official on court.
This technology needs to be expanded -- not just to NBA officials, but to players.
Imagine watching a split screen during the NBA playoffs: One screen displaying the traditional view, while the other shows the game as seen by Kevin Durant.
What if you could see what Peyton Manning sees when he drops back in the pocket -- and in real time!?
The camera would have to be "miniaturized" even further. The unprecedented footage would justify the costs.
5. A Self-Swinging Golf Club
This isn't about playing a round with a club that swings for you. It's about learning how to swing the club properly -- and learning what that feels like.
You can watch all the videos in the world, take advice from the best instructors, and read about the perfect swing in magazines all you want. It doesn't always help.
Golf is about being consistent with your swing. How can you be "consistent" without knowing what you're trying to achieve?
This club would solve that.
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