This coming season, English soccer club Manchester City residents will launch a wearable technology in the form of a soccer scarf that includes a biometric sensor that has the potential to measure emotional, physiological, and movement data of fans with the help of Cisco
Called "The Connected Scarf," this piece of technology takes note of and scans physiological data such as heart rate, body temperature, and emotional reactions, which ultimately gauges how users think or feel at varying times.
"The Connected Scarf is an exciting project for us to pilot together, as we seek to better understand and measure the ups and downs of football fandom and how the game impacts supporters not only emotionally, but physically as well," said Ashley Marusak, the Global Sports Marketing Manager for Cisco.
The way that the scarf works is that it rests on users' necks while utilizing a PPG sensor, accelerometer, temperature sensor, and electrodermal activity sensor, all packed into what the company calls an EmotBit. These are all standard features that users would be able to have through a fitness tracker. The way that it works is by determining skin sweat levels and movements which then in turn tells one's emotional state.
The entire point of the creation of this scarf is for Manchester City to determine exactly what fans are experiencing on an emotional level. It is a part of the pilot program, which is where a selective group of individuals have been chosen to wear the scarf. This pilot program works as a means of testing out the device, and Manchester City ended up asking six fans to view the team playing.
"Using the data, we'll be able to understand fans more than ever before," said Chintan Patel, chief technology officer of Cisco UK and Ireland. "It provides an opportunity to be more inclusive and learn more about the role sport plays in all our lives."
Although this "technological scarf" offers many perks to its users, it still highlights many issues, such as whether the device needs to be charged, exact expenses, whether it can be machine washed and user privacy.
