link: https://forerunner.com.au/technology/technology-improves-sport-performance/ , https://medium.com/@davidjdeal/virtual-reality-helps-u-s-athletes-train-to-win-olympic-gold-bb8c8876449c
The days of professional athletes not being able to perfect their craft due to outside factors are gone. Through virtual reality, athletes now have the ability to train despite elements like a rainy day affecting them. Both tennis and golf players can continue their training through indoor simulations that provide realistic simulations and scenarios. Through 3D imagery, athletes can also be hooked up to a simulator with goggles that will provide them with a virtual reality of a real game scenario. Thus, they don’t necessarily need to run drills or have an opponent, but will be able to train on their own while gaining valuable experience.
Examples of these VR labs include STRIVR, a lab based out of Menlo Park, California which provides training to a variety of professional including NFL and Olympic athletes. STRIVR provides a headset that has a 360 video simulator that allows these athletes to experience real-life situations before they even happen, so they are prepared when/if they do. The NFL uses this lab to try and increase quarterbacks reaction time to limit their chance of getting hurt.
Winter Olympics gold medal recipient in the giant slalom race, Mikaela Shiffrin, used this lab to prepare for her race on the world stage. In 2016, her coach sought a technology to prepare not only Shiffrin but her teammates as well for the challenging Jeongseon course that would appear in the Olympics. STRIVR filmed the experience by attaching a camera to a coach and had him go down the course a plethora of times. They then took that footage and created a simulation to prepare the athletes for the course and assist them in becoming faster.
With new technologies like this developing, the world may start to see the greatest athletes known to man appear.
Virtual Reality is so fascinating and it seems like it is the hot trend in technology as of late. It started with the introduction of those virtual reality head/ eye mask things where you can watch tv and play games or almost anything really. The fact that it is being introduced for practical uses such as to help professional athletes train is amazing. There is so much creativity when it comes to technology that we are advancing in so many ways every day. Virtual reality technology is also being incorporated in other fascinating ways. According to 10 Amazing Uses of Virtual Reality by Dr. Michael Garbade, some of these ways include Virtual interviews for recruiting, Training for medical students, managing Autism symptoms, and so many more. These advancements have improved so many things in society especially the medical training example. This alone has probably saved so many lives. I am very fond of virtual reality and excited to see what’s next.
Reference: https://readwrite.com/2018/11/08/10-amazing-uses-of-virtual-reality/