The sports industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity driven by digital advancements, high level of social media interactions, broad appeal for immersive sports experience, and fan engagement, as well as the growing importance of technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, blockchain, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, cloud, data analytics, wearable tech and many more. In the last three years alone, there have been over 6,000 patents filed and granted in the sports industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Virtual and augmented reality in sports: virtual trainers. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 46,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the sport industry, there are 15+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Virtual trainers is a key innovation area in virtual and augmented reality
Artificial intelligence-driven personal coaches, known as virtual trainer bots, identify training demands and use relevant inferences and inscription from earlier study as the input parameter to formulate the design of the training programs. AI-powered virtual trainers design customizable, individual-based training programs to improve learning.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 245+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established sports companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of virtual trainers.
Key players in virtual trainers – a disruptive innovation in the sports industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to virtual trainers
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
NIKE is the leading patent filer in virtual trainers sector. Some other key patent filers in virtual trainers industry include Peloton Interactive, Lululemon Athletica, adidas, and Samsung Group. NIKE has the largest market share when compared to any other sports equipment company and is continually coming up with new trends and inventions in the area of new virtual training tools for athlete performance enhancement.
In terms of application diversity, Whoop leads the pack. Pentland Group and Alphabet stand in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Lululemon Athletica holds the top position, followed by Fox Factory and NIKE.
Virtual and augmented reality provides organizations with the ability to utilize artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sports analytics to generate insights and make effective decisions both on and off the playing field. Benefits of virtual trainers include player performance analysis, supportive data to help with draft decisions, the ability to assess which players to sign based on present value and risk, the capability to evaluate trade options, accurately target offers, and provide feedback to players and coaches to improve player development as well as anticipate and avert injuries.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the sports industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Sports.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
