VR, AR, and MR in the Sports Industry

What is mixed reality (MR)?

Reality technology is for more than just fun these days. Many industries are tapping into it for training purposes, including the sports industry.

Virtual reality and augmented reality are terms commonly thrown around the tech world, but what about mixed reality? Mixed reality refers to VR and AR combined together, which is what the sports industry is working towards. Michael Luddon, a virtual reality expert, says that MR has the potential to transform sports for professionals, amateurs, and spectators .

American football players already use VR to train their minds and to read the field, while baseball players use VR to practice their swings.

Since MR immerses the user aurally and visually, some companies are starting to experiment with physical reality, too, in top-level sports. This will open up a whole new world. D-BOX Technologies, for instance, currently creates “moving seats” for cinemas. D-BOX builds in realistic, subtle and precise motion vibrations that enhance the movie-goer’s viewing experience. Now they may create simulation seats for sports that allow spectators to experience things like G-force in a car race.

What is an augmented stadium?

Technology like D-BOX’s moving seats can be used as training tools for athletes in a variety of sports, like rowing or horse racing, or even field sports like football and baseball.  It can also be used for spectators, allowing them to feel the stress of a baseball player as he steps up to the plate by adding a heartbeat sensation to the seat.

The seats currently run $10,000 each, which may be out of reach for most armchair fans.