Champions Trophy 2017: Intel partners with ICC, unveils new innovations for upcoming tournament

Intel is working on bringing new innovations to the game of cricket as it announced its partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC). It also announced the technologies that it will be bringing including advanced pitch analysis by an Intel drone, profiling the bat swing using a bat sensor powered by an Intel Curie module, and bringing a cricket VR experience to the fans at the stadiums.

With the focus firmly on enhancing the tournament experience for fans, players, media and broadcasters, the innovations will use data, analytics and visualization and ensure cricket remains at the forefront of technological advancements.     

"We couldn't be more excited to have Intel as ourOfficial Innovation Partner of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017," said David Richardson, Chief Executive of the ICC.     

ALSO READ: Champions Trophy 2017: India humiliate Bangladesh by 240 runs in warm-up match

"The innovations Intel is bringing to the game promise to transform how cricket is experienced and enjoyed around the world, and we look forward to partnering with Intel in this effort."     

Intel Sports Group vice president Sandra Lopez highlighted the role of technology in transforming the way sport is played and viewed. With higher levels of digitisation, Intel is in a unique position to enable the sports industry to capture and analyze data to uncover and respond to new insights in real time.     

#Intel powered VR, drones and bat sensors bring you closer to the action at the @ICC Champions Trophy 2017. #CT17 pic.twitter.com/9Wc59eKNtc

— Intel UK (@IntelUK) May 30, 2017

"Our goal is to lead the way forward into the digitization and personalization of sports, transforming the way fans and athletes experience sports," Lopez added.     

In a first at the Champions Trophy, the Intel Falcon 8 Drone, equipped with HD and infrared cameras will be used for advanced pitch analysis before every match.

READ: 2017 ICC Champions Trophy | Team Preview: Proteas look to shed 'chokers' tag, set sight on first major title in 19 years

Images captured by the drone will offer rich visual data on pitch conditions such as grass cover, grass health, and topology, which will be used to generate daily pitch reports leveraged by commentators during broadcasts.     

The new bat sensor powered by the Intel Curie technology that can be mounted on any cricket bat to generate data for every stroke that the batsman plays.     

With this technology, parameters like back-lift, bat speed and follow-through can be tracked for every cricket stroke. Several batsmen will use these bat sensors in the games at the 2017 Champions Trophy, enabling new insights on stroke play and rich story-telling in broadcast. Analytics from the sensor will be available for fans to analyse.