The spectators’ emotional response to every ace, missed backhand and disputed line call will be measured at this year's Wimbledon tennis championship, thanks to wearable technology provided by car manufacturer Jaguar.
Throughout the tournament, Jaguar – the official sponsor of this year’s event – is selecting spectators to wear biometric wristbands that will capture heart rate, movement and location around the grounds.
Atmospheric, in-ground sensors will also monitor the energy around the courts by collating data on crowd movement, audio levels and infrared.
The highs and lows during matches will then be captured and analysed – in real time – using social media.
The
#FeelWimbledon campaign will also use sociometric tracking of the conversation among fans around the world on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Every day during Wimbledon, tennis fans can access live updates of the mood and crowd emotions across Jaguar's UK social media channels, and by visiting
www.feelwimbledon.co.uk.
Former British No.1 Tim Henman said: "There's no other tournament like Wimbledon and the experience gets better each year.
“The drama, passion and excitement, shared by both players and fans alike, is what makes Wimbledon the number one tennis tournament in the world, and it's great to see Jaguar celebrating these unique qualities as part of their #FeelWimbledon campaign."
Analysis:
• Wimbledon – organised by All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) – is establishing itself as a bit of a pioneer in fan engagement.
Last year (2014) a number of innovations were introduced to improve the way “digital fans” (spectators with mobile devices) engage with the action. In partnership with computer giant IBM, the official tech partner of the tournament since 1990, fans were able to utilise is Slamtracker, a real-time statistics and data visualisation platform which offers predictive analytics into any given match.
AELTC also used a "social command centre", offering insight into social media and improving its digital presence. AELTC also used the centre to boost fan experience on digital platforms as the system helped the Wimbledon content team understand and respond to fans' needs in real-time.
