Sport is a field that relies on self-improvement, mastery of movement, and the emotion of the game. With the emergence of immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), sport is faced with new challenges and opportunities. How can these technologies transform the way we practice, learn, and enjoy sports? What are the ethical, social, and environmental issues related to the use of Immersive Virtual Space in sports? This article offers a reflection on these questions, based on concrete examples of projects and initiatives that explore the potential of Immersive Virtual Space for sports.
Immersive Virtual Space: a definition
Immersive Virtual Space is a term that refers to a set of technologies that allow to create and live immersive experiences in virtual or augmented environments. These technologies include VR, which offers total immersion in a computer-generated world, AR, which overlays virtual elements on the real world, and MR, which combines the two by allowing to interact with physical and virtual objects. These technologies use devices such as helmets, glasses, gloves, or sensors, which capture the movements, gestures, voice, or gaze of the user, and return visual, auditory, or haptic stimuli.
Immersive Virtual Space offers the possibility to create personalized, interactive, and multisensory experiences, which can stimulate the user’s imagination, emotion, and engagement. Immersive Virtual Space can also promote collaboration, communication, and co-creation among users, by allowing them to share the same virtual space, or to connect through different virtual spaces.
Immersive Virtual Space and sports: varied applications
Immersive Virtual Space can have multiple applications in the field of sports, touching on different aspects such as performance, learning, and entertainment. Here are some examples of these applications:
Performance: Immersive Virtual Space can allow athletes to train, prepare, and perfect themselves under optimal conditions, faithfully reproducing the environments, situations, and sensations of real sport. Immersive Virtual Space can also offer them the opportunity to measure, analyze, and improve their performance, using real-time data and feedback. For example, the STRIVR project uses VR to train American football players, by having them relive game scenarios, and providing them with personalized advice.
Learning: Immersive Virtual Space can allow athletes to initiate, progress, and train in sports disciplines, benefiting from adapted, playful, and motivating support. Immersive Virtual Space can also offer them the opportunity to discover, explore, and understand the rules, techniques, and strategies of the sport, using visual, auditory, or haptic supports. For example, the Ski VR project uses VR to learn to ski, offering interactive lessons, practical exercises, and educational games.
Entertainment: Immersive Virtual Space can allow athletes to live playful, educational, or social experiences, which enrich their relationship with sport, and encourage them to adopt healthier and more active behaviors. Immersive Virtual Space can also offer them the opportunity to participate, watch, or support the sport, using innovative game modes, broadcasting, or communication. For example, the eSight project uses AR to allow visually impaired people to see the sport, offering them an improved, personalized, and shared vision.
Immersive Virtual Space and sports: issues to consider
Immersive Virtual Space offers many advantages for sports, but it also raises issues that deserve consideration. These issues include:
Accessibility: Immersive Virtual Space requires the use of devices and software that can be expensive, complex, or not widely available, which can limit access to these technologies for a portion of the population. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that Immersive Virtual Space is accessible to as many people as possible, and that it does not exacerbate social or digital inequalities.
Ethics: Immersive Virtual Space involves the collection, processing, and sharing of personal data, which can be sensitive or confidential, such as identity, face, body, performance, or emotions of users. Therefore, it is necessary to respect the privacy, consent, and security of users, and to guarantee them control and ownership of their data.
Environmental impact: Immersive Virtual Space consumes energy and resources, which can have a negative impact on the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the ecological footprint of these technologies, and to promote their use for ecological purposes, such as awareness, education, or action for sustainable development.
Psychological impact: Immersive Virtual Space can have positive or negative effects on the mental health and well-being of users, depending on the quality, duration, and frequency of their exposure to these technologies. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that Immersive Virtual Space is used in a balanced way, and that it does not cause addiction, isolation, confusion, or distress among users.