hot spot
How does this technology work?
The hotspot technology in cricket is used to determine the contact area of the ball on the bat or players body and whether or not contact was actually made. It utilises the use of 2 infra-red cameras on either side of the field that are continuously recording. when needed these recordings can be accessed and if the ball has made contact with any area of the batsmen of the bat, a bright sport will be highlighted on the contact area. It is represented through this bright spot due to the local temperature of a specific area being increased due to friction from the ball coming in contact, hence being picked up by the cameras as infra-red cameras pick up heat signatures. Where was the technology discovered/invented?
This technology was invented by french scientist Nicholas Bion in the city of Paris and was initially produced to be used in the military. The technology was first used in cricket 2006-07 Ashes series. Has the technology spread to other parts of the world?
This technology, over the years has become mainstream across all major cricketing events and series. It is present in both national and international cricketing events, being utilised by all the countries where these events are held. Major countries that have a very active involvement in cricket include Australia, India, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and and parts of Africa etc. |
Does the technology improve sport?
This technology improves the sport in terms of decision making. When dealing with situation where a batsmen is believed to be out because he/she has been caught behind after the ball hit his/her bat and continued on to be caught by the keeper, this technology can be analysed to determine if the ball came in contact with the bat. This is due to that fact that the hotspot technology shows the contact areas of the ball with any areas of the bat or batsmen. With improved decision making due to this technology, the fairness of the sport is majorly improved. Example
An example of this technology being utilised in cricket is when an umpire is unsure whether the ball has made contact with the bat in a caught-behind decision. He/she can determine whether the ball made contact through the use of this technology. |