Powered by IoT, biometric devices, data analytics technology, and the burning drive to make a mark on the world, introducing NZ to digitally transforming performance sports.
The New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) is a specially-built 17-hectare campus in Upper Hutt in North Island, dedicated to hosting high performance sport.
As a fully-integrated sports-focused smart city that can house in excess of 350 athletes, coaches and support crews, the project team had spent over three years visiting 30 high performance centres for elite teams around the world, in preparation for creating the most innovative sports campus on the planet.
To satisfy the high-technology needs of such a smart city, NZCIS has also roped-in several partners to deploy secure IoT, biometric security, data management and sport-related technologies. Companies such as NTT Ltd, Honeywell, Aruba and Palo Alto have joined forces to deploy solutions that will constantly measure the performance of athletes training at NZCIS. This includes biometric data as well as real-time performance data that can be displayed in screens on walls inside the sports hubs and on the fields.
In addition, multiple cameras throughout the campus will be capable of live streaming practice sessions for the benefit of sports fans and school students in New Zealand and around the world. According to Jamie Tout, Sports Performance Director, NZCIS and VX Sport: ““NTT Ltd. has tremendous experience in the sports sector, with the Indy Cars and Tour de France being just two examples. We’re also impressed by its proven ability to provide technology solutions for elite sports people, as well as the general public. We’re keen to ensure community involvement, so NZCIS will be open to locals who can visit the facilities, have their own performance measured, and then compare their data with those of a professional athlete.”
Tout mentioned that goal of create insights instead of merely just collecting information. “We want everyone to share in the experience of attending what we believe will be the most innovative sports campus in the world. He also noted that Wellington rugby, Wellington Phoenix and Baseball New Zealand have committed to using the facility and he is currently in talks with New Zealand Rugby, MMA, NZ Defence Forces, eSports and AFL to explore all options.
According to NTT Ltd’s NZ CEO Simon Gillespie: “We anticipate that we will collect one million data points every 90 minutes per athlete from sensors on equipment and wearables. While collecting and analyzing data is key, so is ensuring the information is secure. This is to protect the athlete’s privacy as well as commercial and competitive interests.”
The NZCIS is due to open in October 2021.
