adidas launch sensor-packed £180 miCoach 'SMART BALL' that records your kicks and talks to your iPhone.
The technology-equipped adidas miCoach SMART BALL is a Bluetooth Smart and app-enabled football with integrated sensor technology for dead-ball kicking training such as penalties, free-kicks, shooting, corners, long passes or goal kicks. Inside the SMART BALL is a small, suspended bundle of sensors that offers data on how hard the ball has been struck, along with visual flight trajectories, ball spin and impact points via the adidas miCoach SMART BALL app.
The miCoach SMART BALL app offers a dedicated training section for users to focus on improving their skills with tutorials to help master more advanced techniques, including a 'challenge yourself' section, which challenges you to kick the ball within a certain speed, bend around a wall or try to replicate pro level free kicks.
Speaking at the retail launch, Christian DiBenedetto, adidas senior Innovation Director said, “We're proud to bring the miCoach SMART BALL to soccer players around the world. There was a huge amount of interest in the concept when we first showcased the ball. The testing feedback from both amateur and professional athletes has been tremendous and we know users will love the engaging and instructional training this ball will bring to their game. It is another great example of the breakthrough innovation we bring to sports to make athletes better."
Of course all this technology comes at a price. The adidas miCoach SMART BALL is available from today for approx £180/$299/€299 at adidas.com and www.apple.com in the US and Europe.
