Use of digital technologies in the sports context

In sports, like many other fields of human living, technology plays a pivotal role as it influences both the way games are played as well as the degree of involvement and enjoyment by fans. Of course, the technological advancements affect different aspects of sports world. At first, it can certainly be observed that the evolution in terms of sensors, materials and improved knowledge of human physiology and genetics strongly support the enhancement of athlete performance. Indeed, in recent years the availability at affordable cost of wearable technology allowed athletes and coaches to have available real-time data on several physiological metrics such as heart rate and heart rate variability, oxygen saturation, quantity and quality of sleep, as well as biomechanical data on acceleration and speed of body segments which are essential in characterizing the human movement. Moreover, devices like GPS trackers and accelerometers allow for precise monitoring of an athlete’s movements, enabling coaches to optimize training programs and minimize the risk of injuries.
In addition to performance enhancement, technology plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of athletes. For instance, in contact sports like football and hockey, concussions and other traumatic brain injuries are of significant concerns. To address this issue, researchers have developed innovative helmet designs equipped with sensors that can detect and measure the impact of collisions in real-time. This data enables medical professionals to assess the severity of head injuries more accurately and implement appropriate treatment protocols. It is also noticeable that, to date, there are many options in terms of medical screening and treatments to protect athletes’ health and promote their wellbeing. For instance, diagnosis and treatment of injuries are greatly facilitated by imaging tools such as MRI, TC and ultrasound. Because of the huge available amount of data they provide, it is possible to accurately characterize virtually any kind of musculoskeletal injuries, thus supporting clinicians in planning optimized and tailored rehabilitation plans for athletes. At last, it should be remarked how the development of soft exoskeletons and advanced prosthetics allows disabled individuals to compete at the highest level, thus showcasing the potential of technology to overcome physical limitations.
Technology is also gradually modifying the way fans interact with their favorite sports and athletes. Besides the explosion of social media platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok, which have become invaluable tools for athletes to connect with their fans as they provide behind-the-scenes insights, fostering a sense of community, virtual and augmented reality technologies have opened up new possibilities for immersive fan experiences, allowing viewers to feel like they are part of the action from the comfort of their homes. Also, the availability of real-time data coming from the athlete just while he/she is performing (think about heart rate in F1 races or cycling, jump height in volleyball, speed in track and field, traveled distance and shooting accuracy in soccer, etc.) greatly improves in the audience the sense of presence while the action takes place, and make fans aware of the more appealing details associated with the performance.

Technological solutions

As specifically regards volleyball, the most mature and/or promising technological solutions include:

Video analysis

Footage of training sessions and matches can now be analyzed in detail (even with the support of AI tools) to obtain data about ball trajectory and speed as well as athlete’s movement. In this context, video analysis is essential for coaches to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement and thus subsequently develop more effective training plans.

Wearable devices

Wearable devices for training and conditioning: as previously mentioned, wearable devices can provide coaches with valuable data on a player’s performance. Some of the information that can be gathered with miniaturized non-invasive devices include heart rate, speed, and distance covered during training and games, jump heights. This data can then be used to tailor training programs to individual players’ needs and help reduce the risk of injury.

Data analytics

The ever-growing impact of AI on our society, reflects also on complex sports like volleyball. Indeed, using dedicated machine learning models, teams can predict player performance, strategize rotations, and analyze vast amounts of match data quickly. These insights are invaluable for crafting match- winning strategies.