Four in ten kids want to see robot referees in sports, and cameras in footballs
Robot referees (41%), smart footballs with built-in cameras (41%), and exoskeleton suits to protect athletes (17%) are some of the top technological advancements – that children would like to see in sports.
A survey, of 1,000 10-16-year-olds, found that 14% reckon motorised swimsuits are a genius idea, while 12% would like to see trampolines incorporated into basketball.
Other futuristic developments youngsters are keen to see in the world of sport include underwater racing cars, artificial intelligence coaches and sports commentary, and injury prevention technology, to keep players from getting hurt.
And of the 85% of kids who watch sports, one in four say they would be likely to watch more if computers and robots were involved – while just 4% would be less likely to tune in.
A spokesman for Virgin Media O2, which is supporting BBC Children in Need with 5G connectivity across their national Hado eSport tour, said: “Technological advances are unlocking new possibilities every day.
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“From VAR to Hawkeye, smart balls to wearable sensors, technology has already transformed sport in ways unimaginable a few decades back.
And a quarter of youngsters who watch sports would be more likely to do so if it involved robots or computers (Hado/Virgin Media O2)“While we’re some way from many of the out-there ideas young people dreamt up, cutting-edge 5G connectivity will help unlock new innovation in future.
“It is clear from the research that children want to see more technology used, and that it would have a positive impact on how much they watch and play their favourite sports.”
Despite widespread controversy over the implementation of VAR and video technology in the modern game, football was the most popular sport to watch, with 64% of the youngsters tuning in.
Tennis (26%) and rugby (24%) claimed silver and bronze when it comes to most popular sports – while 15% said they hadn’t watched any sport at all, either in person or on TV, in the past year.
But almost eight in ten (78%) said they would be excited if more technology was added to their favourite game – with an impatient 13% keen to see teleportation around the golf course, to make the game quicker.
The study, carried out via OnePoll.com, revealed that more than a third (35%) of children said they watched sport a few times a week, while 7% did so every day – but 19% watch just once a week.
Outside of school, almost half of kids play football (45%), while 27% went swimming, 15% took part in athletics, and 9% played rugby. In fact, almost three in ten (27%) played some kind of sport in their free time on at least two days a week.
When asked how they felt about robots competing alongside human athletes, 24% said they were curious, while 21% were confused, and 17% were excited. Meanwhile, one in ten (11%) were happy at the thought – although 4% admitted the idea made them jealous.
It also emerged that 35% had played eSports or multiplayer video games, welcoming the potential to compete in virtual sports. FIFA was the favourite for 57% of young people, followed by Fortnite (51%), and Call of Duty (43%).
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Virgin Media O2’s spokesman added: “Increased access to technology is rapidly changing the hobbies and interests of the younger generation, with eSports becoming a more popular way for them to spend their time.
“Incorporating technology with traditional sports will keep young people engaged, enabling them to get the physical benefits in a way that they find most entertaining.”
TOP 15 MOST WANTED TECH DEVELOPMENTS IN SPORTS – AS VOTED BY KIDS:
- Smart balls with built-in sensors
- Cameras in footballs
- Virtual reality headsets for fans, so they can see sport through the eyes of their favourite players
- Eco-friendly sports stadiums
- Injury prevention technology so players don't get injured
- Robot referees
- Advanced safety technology, to let coaches know if players are injured
- Virtual fan interactions, which let viewers speak to players
- Underwater racing cars
- Exoskeleton suits to make players stronger
- Artificial intelligence (AI) sports commentary
- Swimsuits which have motors on them
- Trampolines in basketball
- Teleportation on golf courses, to make the game quicker
- Artificial intelligence (AI) coaches
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