The 2022 World Cup kicks off on Sunday, November 20. As in previous World Cup tournaments, some new technologies will be used in the tournament, which will be hosted by Qatar. We have listed the new technologies that will be used in the 2022 World Cup. These technologies may enter football permanently in the coming years.Semi-Automatic Offside Technology
FIFA, which started to use technology to reduce referee mistakes in football, introduced VAR technology into our lives. Now, semi-automatic offside technology enters our lives to end the discussion of the line on offsides. Semi-automatic offside technology will be used in all matches in the 2022 World Cup.
Body movements of all players are clearly detected with 12 cameras with motion tracking feature placed in various parts of the field. The inertial measurement unit (IMU) technology inside the ball accurately determines when the ball comes out standing. As soon as the ball leaves the foot, which player’s limb is in front is determined by artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence transforms the offside moment into 3D animation and transmits it to the Video Assistant Referee and the VAR referee makes the final decision. Since the animations are prepared in a very decisive way, the referee does not have a chance to comment much. This technology was tested in some matches of the 2022 Champions League. It will be used in all matches in the World Cup.
There is Cooling Technology in the Stadiums
It is summer in Qatar. From time to time, temperatures will show above 30 degrees. Cooling technology called Advanced Cooling Tech has been installed in stadiums to reduce the effect of temperatures. This technology is available in seven of the eight stadiums built for the tournament.
Air ducts that spray cold air were placed under the stadium seats and near the field. The air ducts will not only blow cold air, but also blow hot air from inside out. The air blown out will be blown back in and cooled again. No matter how many degrees the weather outside, the air temperature in the stands and on the field will show between 18 and 24 degrees.
Pipes filled with cold water and heat exchangers (heat exchangers) were built underground near the stadium to provide cold air. The hot air will be cooled by passing through pipes filled with cold water. The cooled water will be pumped into a 40,000-liter storage tank and stored to provide cool air for the next day’s match. The electrical energy of this entire system will be provided by solar panels built 80 km away from Doha. The organizers state that there will be no greenhouse gas emissions due to the cooling system in the stadiums. With the promise of the Green World Cup, Qatar will save the same amount of carbon in return for the carbon emissions that will be released due to the tournament. Carbon savings will be achieved through energy efficiency, renewable energy and waste management.
Stadium Like Lego: Stadium 974
The stadium, named Stadium 974, is the first stadium with a “modular” construction technique. It was built using shipping containers and modular steel frames instead of reinforced concrete structures. 974 of the shipping containers we see at the ports and on the trucks were used. This is where the name of the stadium comes from.
Stadium 974 will be disassembled within hours after the World Cup is over and all parts used in the stadium will be evaluated in different sectors. Schools, shops, cafes and health facilities will be built in the area where the stadium is located, allowing them to benefit from the existing infrastructure. Since Stadium 974 is built in a cool area close to the beach, it does not have the ventilation technology of the other 7 stadiums in the tournament. Thanks to the aerobic roof architecture, natural ventilation is provided.
Color Changing Stat: Education City
We have seen many stadiums that change color with LED lights before, but Education City stadium naturally changes color. Diamond-like geometric patterns were used on the facade of the stadium. These patterns appear in different colors from white to gray as the Sun moves.
FIFA Player App
With the application called FIFA Player, detailed statistics of all players in the tournament can be followed. Instead of classical data such as goal, acid, pass, we will be able to see data that has not been used in football before. There will be new data such as average speed, sprints above 25 km/h, fidelity to the line of play, amount of pressure applied to the player with the ball. For those who do not want to drown in the details, the data will be displayed visually with various metrics.
Technological Palm: Elpalm
Devices called Elpalm, which are placed in areas where fans will be concentrated, will provide both shadow and energy to the fans. By transferring the energy obtained from the solar panels on it to USB slots, it will enable the fans to fill their phones with renewable energy. In addition, it will offer free Wi-Fi service and the speakers will listen to the announcements to the fans. It can also measure temperature, air cleanliness and noise.
Electric Buses Will Be Widely Used
Its fans will carry electric buses to the stadiums. Although electric buses are not a very new technology today, they will be widely used for the first time in World Cup history.
World Cup Ball: Al Rihla
The official ball of the 2022 World Cup was developed by Adidas and called Al Rihla. A panel shape called Speedshell was used to move faster and more accurately in the air.
Talking about the features of the ball, Franziska Löffelmann, Adidas football design and graphics director, said, “Football is getting faster and as the speed increases, precision and balance in the air become extremely important. The new design allows the ball to stay at a much higher speed as it goes through the air.”
Inside the ball is a motion sensor called the inertial measurement unit (IMU) with a scanning speed of 500 Hz. This sensor will help determine the moment the ball leaves the foot in offside positions. The battery in the sensor charges itself with the movement of the ball.
2022 World Cup kicks off on 20 November
The tournament will kick off with the Qatar-Ecuador match on Sunday, November 20 at 19.00. The 2022 World Cup will come to an end with the final match to be played on 18 December at 18:00.
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