The National Football League (NFL) is revolutionizing the world of sports by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent injuries among players. The league’s digital athlete initiative leverages AI and machine learning to study the movements of players, with the aim of avoiding injuries and improving player safety.
Jennifer Langton, the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Health and Safety Innovation, recently discussed the technology and its impact on player health and safety during an appearance on The Claman Countdown. Langton explained that the partnership with AWS (Amazon Web Services) is the first of its kind and represents the next generation of player health and safety in the NFL.
The technology utilizes AI and machine learning to create a detailed profile of each player, encompassing their experiences during training, practice, and games. By analyzing data from sensors embedded in shoulder pads and mouthguards, as well as video footage from practices and games, the technology captures real-time information about players’ location, speed, acceleration, distance, and the frequency and intensity of head impact contact.
By collecting vast amounts of data, the NFL aims to predict and prevent injuries. The technology allows for the automation of data collection, synchronization, and analysis in real time. It runs millions of simulations to better understand when and how injuries occur, enabling the league to provide teams with daily risk models that identify players at a higher risk of injury. This information allows teams to adjust training loads and measurements accordingly, enhancing the safety and well-being of the players.
Langton emphasized that the goal is not to replace NFL medical teams but to assist them in working more efficiently and intelligently. The technology aims to optimize training regimes and workloads for individual players, ensuring they stay healthy and perform at their best.
While the focus is currently on the NFL, the potential impact of this technology extends beyond football. Langton believes that if injuries can be predicted in the NFL, it could have a profound effect on all sports. Moreover, the application of injury detection and optimization strategies could benefit industries beyond sports, such as the military.
The NFL’s collaboration with AWS represents a significant step forward in leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance player safety. As the technology continues to evolve and improve, it holds the promise of transforming not only the world of football but also the wider realm of sports and other industries.
