UK start-up SwipeStation has developed an innovative app-based solution that claims to shorten queue times for F&B offerings at sports grounds and stadia to just 15 seconds.

Supported via a SEEDRS crowdfunding campaign, the system, also called SwipeStation, allows fans to order and pay for food via the app. Once their order has been placed users are given a QR code, which they scan at designated stations before collecting their orders from the counter via a dedicated fast lane.

Currently installed at four leading sports grounds in the UK – including Welford Road (Leicester Tigers) and Stadium of Light (Sunderland) – the system is able to operate independently of an internet connection, and is designed to enhance the overall fan experience.

In addition, the company claims that it has the potential to increases sales, due to the reduction in wait times.

Adam King, SwipeStation CEO, says: “The ease and speed with which fans can order has an impact on sales, so SwipeStation reducing queue times to less than 15 seconds means a more profitable venue. We also gather order data, which gives clubs valuable insight into fan buying patterns, thereby allowing managers to plan better.”

Sport-kit keyword: SWIPESTATION

Nikon Group company Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRCM) has launched Polycam One, targeting the live sports capture market. A portable, multi-camera solution, the Polycam One enables a single operator to record a match from multiple camera positions simultaneously.

The system can accommodate up to 12 robotic cameras, and works by mapping out the playing area and the camera locations, to capture complementary shots of the action, including wide and high-tactical views, while the operator records the match on the main camera. Designed to provide a dynamic visual experience, the cameras are IP connected, so can be used by a remote operator, who can adjust and control the cameras and footage in real time.

“Polycam One is an ideal solution to adding more camera angles to what would normally be a single camera operation,” says MRMC managing director Assaff Rawner. “Its innovative design means it can easily be deployed, configured and operated by one person and, with our robotic heads providing up to 12 additional cameras, it gives users more options for capturing the action.”

Sport-kit keyword: MARK ROBERTS MOTION CONTROL

Canadian tech company AEXOS (Advanced Exoskeletal Systems) has developed an innovative compression shirt that is designed to reduce the risk of injury in contact sports. The company, which was founded in 2015 by brothers Charles and Rob Corrigan, specialises in the design of ‘biomechanically assistive technology’ that allows wearers to challenge their physical limits while reducing the risk of injury.

The shirt, called Halo, supports the movement of the cervical spine, reducing stress and fatigue on the head and neck, and offering neck and postural support.

It features innovative technology that enables the collar of the shirt to stiffen during a whiplash event, therefore improving neck stability and reducing causal factors of whiplash injury and concussion.

The company worked on Halo with design-firm Tactix, ballistics testing facility Biokinetics and researchers at the University of Waterloo.

“We’ve spent the last three years developing lightweight high-performance protection for athletes that is unlike anything else available today,” said CEO Charles Corrigan.

Sport-kit keyword: AEXOS

GumGum Sports has announced a new partnership with Scottish rugby team Glasgow Warriors, which will see the sports AI company capture data on the club’s sponsorship partners across broadcast and social media.

GumGum works by determining a media value based on impressions across broadcasted games and social media, measured against equivalent advertising costs. The app accounts for exposure from all content creators, not just channels owned by Glasgow Warriors, and will assign value to every related post that’s uploaded.

By searching social platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube, alongside televised broadcasts, the technology is able to quantify these impressions against a Media Value Percentage, a methodology that accounts for a number of factors including clarity, prominence and share of voice.

Sam Grimley, commercial director of GumGum Sports, says: “The way in which fans consume rugby is rapidly changing, meaning the way in which clubs measure and monetise their sponsorship offering requires a new approach. It’s an exciting time for the sport and we’re looking forward to help.”

Sport-kit keyword: GUMGUM SPORTS