‘Owzat for Sporty Technology?

News release

5th June 2013

Cricket fans can practise their batting and see the action played back in 3D at Lincolnshire’s first ever international cricket fixture next month.

The Lincolnshire County Council-run onlincolnshire project, along with the University of Lincoln, is setting up 3D cameras, a 3D television and the latest in motion capture technology at the England v Pakistan women’s match at Louth Cricket Ground on 1st July to show how state-of-the-art sports technology works.

Those with tickets to the match will have the opportunity to get plugged in to the cutting-edge kit, test their batting style and watch the results in 3D at the onlincolnshire marquee.

The equipment is being piloted to see what interest there is from businesses in accessing a range of digital technology ahead of the launch of a Lincolnshire Technology Hub at the Meridian Leisure Centre in Louth in early autumn.

Councillor Colin Davie from Lincolnshire County Council said: “Taking our 3D technology and the university’s motion capture equipment to the international cricket match is a great way to introduce people to what can be expected at the new Louth Technology Hub later this year.

“Our hubs, and indeed the onlincolnshire project as a whole, are about opening up a world of digital technology and possibilities to areas which might not otherwise have access to such things. Hundreds of sports fans will be at the match, so we can’t wait to test their batting technique.”

There will be two types of 3D technology used at the event. The first will be specialist cameras and a 50” TV which work together to show 3D images without the need for glasses – something called autostereoscopic imaging.

There will also be a variety of motion capture systems, which are most commonly used to create animation in films or computer games. Participants are hooked up with small spherical markers at different points on their bodies, while multiple cameras emit an infrared light which reflects off the markers back to the camera. The camera records the motion of those markers alone, allowing the markers’ movements to be relayed back in real time as they perform an action – such as a batting stroke.

David Mullineaux, Professor in Sports Science at the University of Lincoln’s School of Sport and Exercise Science, said: “Sport provides a versatile setting to demonstrate the benefits of 3D technology that can give businesses an appreciation of its application in a risk-free environment.

“Cricket is popular throughout Lincolnshire, and as such involves a wide range of ages and skills on which to test this technology. We hope this hub will spur ideas and stimulate discussions on the development and applications that will benefit commerce and industry.”

The onlincolnshire cricket match activity is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The match is part of East Lindsey Live and also coincides with SO Festival 2013 which runs from Friday 28th June to Sunday 7th July.

You can follow the conversation about the 3D technology on Twitter with the hashtag #louth3Dhub as well as at www.facebook.com/onlincolnshire

Ends

Notes to Editors:

About onlincolnshire

• onlincolnshire is part-funded by the East Midlands European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013.
• Some Internet users in rural Lincolnshire experience speeds of less than 1 Mbps. The UK’s average broadband speed is 7.6 Mbps, according to Ofcom.
• The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf
• The contract with BT concentrates on an intervention area of over 150,000 premises where existing or planned commercial roll outs would not deliver superfast speeds. This will mean that at least 94% of all premises should have access to fibre broadband by April 2016.

About the SO Festival

• SO Festival 2013: Between 28th June and 7th July, SO Festival 2013 will transform Lincolnshire’s coastal district of East Lindsey into an international arts venue with spectacular visual art, theatre, street theatre, world-class performers and dance acts. As one of the biggest cultural festivals in the East Midlands, the programme promises to delight visitors and residents alike with events and activities taking place both on the coast and in the district's traditional market towns. www.sofestival.org
• High-resolution images can be downloaded from http://photos.lavacomms.co.uk Simply click on the SO Festival 2013 gallery to view the images. To download galleries or individual images simply click on the image and then select download from the top left corner.

Cerri Delaney
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
07985 143990
cerri@shootingstar-pr.co.uk
www.shootingstar-pr.co.uk
t: @CerriDelaney

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