Technology has contributed majorly towards the upgrade and betterment of many things, including the FIFA World Cup that is being held in Qatar 2022. We’re going to review some of the technologies and approaches that make the Qatar World Cup a marvel of modern technology.
Technology in the FIFA World Cup
We often don’t think about the technology used during sporting events; however, there is a lot of technology used during sporting events, especially during the FIFA World Cup. Below we’ll take a look at the different types of technology used in the FIFA World Cup.
Semi-Automated Offside Technology
Let’s take a minute to think of referees and how they are the voice of reason in all games, including during the FIFA World Cup. Like many things that we do, we always need a little help when it comes to accuracy, and this is where semi-automated offside technology comes in.
Semi-automated offside technology is a tool used by VARs to make more accurate and faster decisions regarding offside decisions. It does this by automatically finding the relative position of players at the time when the ball was being played.
A VAR is a video assistant referee who operates as a match official in association football. Their entire purpose is to review decisions made by referees. This technology ensures that all decisions made during matches are fair and as accurate as possible.
Cooling Technology
We’ve all heard of how hot Qatar is, especially during its summer seasons, and although the World Cup takes place during the winter, it still needs a cooling system. For this reason, Qatar has taken the liberty of installing advanced cooling technology in its stadiums. Seven of the eight stadiums will have AC technology, while the other will be naturally ventilated. This is because of its location, which is close to the coast of Qatar.
The AC technology will be powered through an energy center which will be found near the stadiums. This energy center will use water chilled and brought to the venue through a pipeline for AC needs. Once the water reaches the venue, cold air will be filtered into two main areas: the seating area and the playing field. By doing this, Qatar will keep the fans and players cool.
Deconstructive Stadiums
Qatar really took technology to the next level when they built Stadium 974 by creating a stadium they could deconstruct after the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The visually appealing stadium was created using steel frames and shipping containers which were far more cost-effective than constructing a new stadium through traditional materials and methods.
It’s important to remember that Qatar tried to be as eco-friendly as possible while constructing the stadiums and hosting this World Cup. All eight stadiums have climate-neutral technology installed, with more than 90% of all materials used to build the stadiums coming from recycled materials.
Bonocle
What we truly love about this World Cup edition is that it caters to all by including a revolutionary piece of technology called Bonocle. Bonocle is a revolutionary piece of technology that will turn all the digital content around the World Cup into braille for visually impaired people.
Bonocle was part of the Challenge 22 competition, which was an initiative by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. The SC in Qatar has been and will continue to lead a technological revolution in the middle-east, and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022 is one shining example of this.
Bonocle is meant to change how the world sees sport, making it more inclusive and offering something new and different for everyone, including those who are visually impaired.
A Few Last Words
The face of football is slowly changing and offering all those who are willing to give it a chance to change with it. The FIFA World Cup is no longer just about finding a champion, but it’s also about giving countries different perspectives and a chance to grow.
Technology is also setting the space for something new and different, allowing the entire world a chance to advance and be more inclusive.