TrackMan Technology plays key role in the development of 2010 FIFA World Cup Official Match Ball

June 11, 2010 - PRLog -- Vedbæk, Denmark, June 10, 2010 – TrackMan technology has once again played a leading role in the research and development of a sports ball for the world’s greatest athletes and competitions. This time around, it is not a golf ball or a baseball, but the Official Match Ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Both Adidas and its R&D partner- Loughborough University used TrackMan radar and software technology extensively to assess ball flight during the 4-year development of “JO’BULANI” – The 2010 FIFA World Cup Official Match Ball.  In particular, TrackMan was able to provide invaluable insight, enabling researchers to benchmark how different materials, textures, and surfaces influenced the ball’s movement.

Says Dr. Andy Harland, Sports Technology Research Group, Loughborough University, “TrackMan played an integral role in the development of the Official Match Ball, enabling us to quickly and efficiently evaluate and document ball flight.”

Interestingly, during research, Loughborough University invented its own robot to kick the football consistently much like the golf industry’s “Iron Byron.” Using TrackMan and the robot, researchers could then precisely observe and document the ball’s spin, trajectory, and responsiveness.

“While we see our technology and expertise being applied more and more to sports outside of golf, being a part of the world’s most popular sporting event, the World Cup is a tremendous and  terrific endorsement of our industry-leading solutions,” says TrackMan CEO Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen.

See video of Dr. Andy Harland speaking about the ball’s development:  www.trackman.dk/Media/Videos/Adidas-Ball.aspx

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TrackMan™ is a completely portable, easy to use radar-based solution for analyzing the impact conditions and resulting ball flight for many sports. The choice of the PGA TOUR, USGA, R&A, and numerous other sports authorities and leagues, TrackMan provides the industry's most accurate real-time data and graphics on ball launch, flight, and landing. Headquartered in Vedbæk, Denmark, ISG A/S is the developer and owner of TrackMan™ technology.