The fervor of live soccer is infectious, but for the millions of fans with visual impairment, it’s nearly impossible to follow the action in real time. So Irish haptic-tech startup Field of Vision created a tablet-like device that sits in users’ laps, allowing them to follow the ball’s movement up and down the field with their fingertips—“a bit like a Ouija board,” says co-founder David Deneher. Special cameras positioned around the pitch track the ball and relay its exact position to the device, which vibrates when players, say, slide tackle. (Descriptive audio commentary is also integrated.) A prototype is now being tested in partnership with Dublin’s Bohemian Football Club.
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