Artificial Intelligence in Sports

Introduction: Brad Pitt starred Hollywood movie ‘Moneyball’, was released in 2011. This movie revealed to the world how the concept of using data science in sports can be beneficial globally. Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing sports and escalating it to a whole new level. It has increasingly incorporated different forms of technology, the most significant being the use of big data for sports analytics. Now, with the introduction of artificial intelligence in sports, we are able to witness another era of change from the way games are played and the way they are experienced by fans all over the world.Artificial Intelligence in sports prediction may be a new and emerging technology but it is now making its way into a number of sports industry applications. Since the algorithms can analyse data far faster than humans can, they give in time in-depth information on players than was previously possible. The Data Science, Business Intelligence, Computer vision, machine learning and other forms of AI in sports use algorithms to analyse player performance statistics, game videos, and data from various sensors to identify talent that coaches and captains might otherwise miss.

The Scenario:There are few things in the world that cannot be quantified. Everything that can be quantified, can be predicted with accuracy using data analytics and artificial intelligence. The world of sports is abundant in such quantifiable elements, making it ideal for the use of artificial intelligence. The applications of artificial intelligence in sports have become a common sight in recent years.

Areas of Sports: Following are a few areas in sports where artificial intelligence is set to become a mainstay component:

1. Player Performance and Potential :A combination of sensor technology and AI helps coaches improve players’ technique.For example, in weight training – now virtually universal across sports – AI can provide realtime feedback to maximize the results of a workout and create personalized training regimens that busy coaches may not be able to provide. Wearables devices can also provide data around levels of strain and exertion a player is experiencing and can signal that an activity should be stopped in order to prevent injury.

2. Coaching the Coaches:AI is having a major impact on strategic decisions coaches make, both before and during a game. Baseball, cricket are classic examples. Decisions about what line-up to field against opposing teams are now influenced as AI tools are quite helpful. Through a combination of wearable sensors and high-speed cameras, AI platforms can now measure the speed, spin, and placement of a tennis serve or a cricket ball bowled, a curve ball, a forward pass, a penalty kick, and dozens of other similar actions including the motions and positioning in space of the players who perform them. All this data makes coaches better able to prepare players for competition. Equally important, AI can predict the chances of success for various game tactics. For example, some football coaches are now turning to AI to help them call the right plays during a game.

3. Enriching the Experience: AI can now deliver advanced performance analytics, whether it’s finding clips of all the winning tactics or visual analysis of every game. This gives players and coaches a powerful tool to analyse how they performed and to explore their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.

AI Based Sport Software:Most of AI software are based on Sensor data. It is the output of a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. In the Artificial Intelligence in sports prediction field, it is used to detect and collect information from physical being or sports person. Sensor data can be used to monitor machines or infrastructure or it can be used to monitor natural phenomena. It can give us information on calorie intake, training levels, performance etc.We can use its data that monitors personal metrics like heart rate, weight, movement of athletes, etc. There are scores of AI based software available for guiding and enhancing different sporting items.

 Sportlogiq is a very popular AI based software which helps teams gain an edge and skill by using advanced AI technology. It has support system for different sports like hockey, soccer and football. Sportlogiq’s reporting system provides in-depth analysis that focuses on both team and player level performance. AIdriven insights gathered from proprietary datasets provide unique information on underlying team performance, trends and systems. It uses machine learning with camera tracking that works with any broadcast feed to give player the most objective understanding of the game.

Chatbots: A Chatbot or bot is computer programs that mimic conversation with people using Artificial Intelligence in sports prediction. A chatbot is a service which is powered by rules and sometimes AI in VSRUWVE\FKDWLQWHUIDFHLQWKHZD\WKURXJK messenger like Facebook, telegram, kick, etc. Chabot is basically used for customer services, health care or information acquisition.

Computer vision: Computer vision is a field of Artificial Intelligence in sports  giving computers a visual understanding of the world. Computer vision is an emergent technology that is embedded in different devices we use in our daily life. It helps in improving the AI in sports training process for professional athletes, automatic sports analysis and interpretation. It also helps in improving referee decision.

Automated journalism: Automated journalism or algorithmic journalism or robot journalism is journalism where news articles are generated by computer programs. Here without human reporters stories are produced by the machines through AI software automatically. These programs interpret, organize and present data in humanreadable ways.

Wearable technology: Wearable technology is smart electronic device that can be worn on a body, either as an accessory or as the material used in clothing. The most wearable is wrist worn. It is useful for assessing performance. It is potentially more fashionable and .more discreet. It is more responding and updated. Webtunix AI provides all the above utilities.

Hawk-Eye : In snooker, the Hawk-Eye software is aimed at entertaining and educating viewers by showing them animated shots, possible angles and cannons, potting distance, or ball paths.

Conclusion: At last from the above discussion, it can be concluded that in sports field humans are totally dependable on artificial intelligence in sports predictions. AI in sports is here to stay,and as the technology improves through better sensors, processors, and algorithms, it will become even more important. In combination with sensor systems, AI is able to analyse players’ performance and provide accurate real time match statistics: scores, speed, distance, strength, percentages of possession, and more - depending on type of sport. In fact, it will be fair to say that today, athletes and teams in most well developed sports need to be using the latest technology just to keep pace with the rest of the pack