The adidas Smart Ball is to add a few new tricks with a firmware update
The adidas miCoach Smart Ball might only have hit retailers today, but the sportswear giant already has big plans for the future of its sensor equipped footy.
With the adidas Smart Ball currently acting as a training device for dead ball situations, such as free kicks and penalties, the manufacturer has confirmed it is already working on an update which will add rolling ball tracking to the equation.
Speaking exclusively with TrustedReviews, Christian DiBenedetto, Senior Innovation Director at adidas revealed that a firmware update for the £250 football will soon allow it to track and monitor more open play.
“Right now this is for a dead ball situation,” DiBenedetto told us. “Before you can kick a rolling ball well, you need to be able to kick a still ball well, so we teach you the skills on a still.”
He added: “In the future, with an app update and a firmware update for the ball – which happens through the app – you will be able to kick rolling balls and the whole experience will continue to grow as we evolve it.”
Despite offering insight as to what’s next for the adidas Smart Ball, DiBenedetto failed to narrow down the experience-improving update to a specific timeframe.
Compatible with a free to download iOS application, the adidas Smart Ball lets users receive feedback on their dead ball kicks, with impact points, power and spin all instantly relayed to the app via Bluetooth 4.0.
Detailing the benefits of the ball, DiBenedetto stated: “This ball is the first ball ever to be able to tell you anything about your kick, especially features like impact point – so where the foot hits the ball – which is critical to doing the right type of kick.”
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