Engaging Casual Fans 📺 with CV-Enhanced Sports Videos🏀

As a casual sports fan, I never imagined finding myself working in the sports industry.

Yet, here I am. ☺️

For me, watching sports has always been a cherished activity shared with friends and family. The passion and energy that fill the stadiums, arenas or family rooms are truly infectious, regardless of which teams we support.

However, I often long for a deeper understanding of the game — the terminologies, gestures, and strategic moves. Take, for instance, the world of football, where the referee’s gestures and calls, like “holding,” can sometimes leave me perplexed.

Another challenge I face is grasping the nuances of key players and their in-game decisions. I occasionally find myself seeking customized data during the heat of the game, whether it’s for making choices in fantasy draft games or simply keeping up with my die-hard fan friends.

What if computer vision could bridge the gap for casual fans like me — and perhaps even you? Imagine a world where technology enhances our sports-watching experience, providing us with visual insights and tailored information.

iBall embedded visualization

During my sports learning journey, I came across a paper titled: iBall: Augmenting Basketball Videos with Gaze-moderated Embedded Visualizations (2023) authored by a team of researchers from Harvard and UCSD.