This article was first published in the July 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
When the players walk out on to Centre Court at Wimbledon on June 29, it's not just fans that will be watching -- and there were 378 million of them in 2014. From the opening serve, every move at the world's oldest tennis tournament will be tracked -- amounting to millions of data points across some 900,000 individual match-points played. "What we're trying to find is the insights behind the data: not just how the point was won or lost, but what happened in between," says Sam Seddon, an IBM client executive for Wimbledon, who is tasked with crunching the data. "Given the gladiatorial nature of tennis, any advantage is potentially massive for the players." WIRED explains the tech behind the tournament.
1. Cameras
Eighteen BBC cameras -- including high-speed and 4K -- feed five on-site broadcasting trucks and the Wimbledon website, which is updated 140,000 times per day. The future: 360° capture with data overlays for VR.
2. Wimbledon Information System
The IBM and Hawk-Eye line-calling data goes to broadcasters, social media and 200 screens around the courts. Players get a USB stick with video and game statistics within 30 minutes of finishing a match.
3. Radar Guns
Doppler radar guns at each end of the centre line capture serve speed. The information is fed to the scoreboard in real time.
4. Slamtracker
Three trained analysts -- all Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) ranked players -- capture match data in real time using a custom input system. They judge subjective data that current computers can't, such as forced vs unforced errors during play. By combining this with qualitative data -- such as ball speed and player movement -- the software can identify decisive plays in a game.
5. Smart rackets
Allowed since new LTA regulations passed in 2014. Babolat's Play racket -- as used by Rafael Nadal -- records stroke type, power, angle of attack and spin, feeding data to a smartphone app.
6. Hawk-Eye
Ten 60FPS Sony cameras track the ball. A predictive algorithm can then project the exact location of a bounce to within 5mm. Installed on six courts in 2015, Hawk-Eye also tracks player metrics such as distance covered and speed.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
