
Augmented reality (AR) has long been touted as one of the next major tech upgrades, and the platform is slowly starting to creep into the mainstream. While AR headsets are still far from ubiquitous, there are countless AR-powered apps on smartphones.
Recently, there have been some AR innovations in the world of horse racing that could drastically improve the viewer experience. These updates pave the way towards a future in which most spectators will choose to wear AR glasses when watching races.
Horse Racing is Constantly Evolving With New Technology
Horse racing has been around for centuries, and its willingness to adapt to new developments has been a key part of its longevity. As new technology comes about, the sport always seeks to integrate it. It also adapts to new forms of entertainment to reach more fans.
For example, the Big Racing slot is an example of how horse racing has been represented in the iGaming market to appeal to slot players. The thriving online casino industry is an excellent place for a sport to be represented, as it attracts a wide range of playing demographics. The slot itself is reminiscent of race day, with different horses competing for the prize.
Horse racing has also become prevalent on streaming services, giving people new ways to watch the action. In the past, there were only a few options available, but now people can sign up to streams on websites or check out the races on services like Peacock.
Augmented Reality Beginning to Be Introduced at Race Tracks
Aside from horse racing appearing on different popular platforms, the live events are undergoing various updates to enhance real world viewing as well. According to a recent piece in Sports Pro, Immersal has just released 5G AR horse racing tech to massively improve the at-track experience.
The tech firm has developed an AR platform that allows viewers to look at the action through their phone or AR glasses to view additional information about the races. Just as you’d be able to see when watching the action on television, the technology provides details such as horse and jockey names and odds beneath the animals when they appear. It also provides real-time statistics, which can be extremely useful when there is no commentary available.
When Will AR Be Mainstream?
As it stands, this introduction to racetrack technology is just a glimpse of what’s to come. This type of thing is unlikely to become widespread until AR devices become mainstream, which may not happen for a while.
The latest projections are expecting AR to boom by 2030. At that point, there’s a good chance that developments have made AR wearables more accessible and convenient, meaning that people will easily be able to don them at horse racing events and see all the AR information clearly.
Horse racing always integrates emerging technology, and AR looks set to be another major upgrade to the sport. It will improve the live viewing experience tenfold and enable spectators to see a lot of additional information about the races.