GLOBAL, NOVEMBER 21, 2011: When 23 year-old Daniel lost his eyesight four to five years ago, it was pretty clear to him that playing his beloved football would be almost impossible. Almost, being the operative word, at least thanks to Pepsi Refresh and its latest project.
Dubbed “The Sound of Football”, this new initiative from the soda giant aims to give visually impaired people a better football experience. It was completed with the help of Åkestam Holst and Society 46, both of whom collaborated to make the nearly impossible happen. “We used tracking technology, the same used at the latest FIFA World Cup. Through the system we can get the position of each player in real time on the football pitch. This information is then fed into an iPhone located on each player’s head and converted into binaural 3D sound,” said Holst.
To test the technology, a team of visually impaired players were pitted with a team of former professional footballers. The catch: players without visual impairment were blindfolded so that no one could see – thus leveling out the playing field. “We created sounds for things important on the pitch like the nearest players, the ball and the goals. Through headphones each player can hear what is happening and get a sense of distance between things. And the sensors in the iPhone allow players to locate where the sounds come from when they move their head.”
A tracking system consisting of 16 3D cameras were also placed across the field, to help identify player movements in relation to the auditory clues being sent throughout the game. The results were extremely positive. Ellen Sundh, creative technologist for Society 46, said: “I think in the future this technology can be used in other arenas than in sports arenas, as people who can’t see can actually get information about the environment around them.”
In the end, both teams scored a goal each. However, it was Daniel who felt like the unquestionable winner, having been reunited with his long-lost sport through “The Sound of Football”. “With these sounds, it felt a little like science fiction actually. It was bloody fantastic. I will remember this for a very long time,” he said.
To know more about “The Sound of Football,” click on the following link.
