Adidas Unveils Euro 2024 Official Football with Real-Time Kick Detection

For most football purists, the advent of technology has ruined the nature of the game rather than improved it. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that football was MUCH more enjoyable before the accuracy of the VAR, but the point of such technologies isn’t to cater to audience entertainment, it’s to make the game as fair and unbiased as possible. Today, Adidas announced yet another tech-driven product to improve the game of Football. The FUSSBALLLIEBE (German isn’t the most elegant language) is a connected ball that detects kicks in real-time, and has also been adopted as the Official Football for the upcoming UEFA EURO 2024. Beyond its mouthful of a name, which translates to “love of soccer,” this ball is a groundbreaking fusion of sport and tech, designed to change how we experience and analyze football.

Designer: Adidas

At the core of FUSSBALLLIEBE’s innovation is Adidas’ Connected Ball Technology, developed in collaboration with Kinexon. This tech marvel includes a 500Hz inertial measurement unit (IMU) motion sensor, ensconced in a suspension system at the ball’s center. It’s capable of providing detailed insights into every aspect of the ball’s movement, a feature unprecedented in football history. Not only does this technology offer real-time data to video match officials, enhancing the accuracy and speed of in-match decisions, but it also dovetails with UEFA’s semi-automated offside technology, marking a significant leap in the sport’s adjudication.

The ball isn’t just smart; it’s also a study in precision engineering. Its PRECISIONSHELL 20-piece panel shape, augmented by strategically placed deboss grooves, helps control airflow over the ball for maximum precision. The CTR-CORE within the ball further supports this precision, ensuring accuracy, consistent play, and maximum shape and air retention.

In terms of aesthetics, FUSSBALLLIEBE is a vibrant homage to the spirit of the game and the diversity of its global audience. The design, featuring black wing shapes with colorful edges, curves, and dots, encapsulates the movement of the ball and the energy of football. The use of bright colors like red, blue, green, and orange not only celebrates the competing nations but also the sheer joy and universality of football. The inclusion of tournament stadiums and host city names adds a personal touch to this edition of the ball, making it a collector’s item as much as a piece of advanced sporting equipment.

Sustainability is another cornerstone of the FUSSBALLLIEBE’s design. Made from bio-based materials like corn fibers, sugar cane, wood pulp, and rubber, combined with recycled polyester and water-based ink, Adidas touts the FUSSBALLLIEBE as featuring more bio-based materials than any previous Adidas Official Match Ball, without impacting its performance.

As we ‘kick-off’ EURO 2024 with Adidas’ FUSSBALLLIEBE, it’s clear that the future of football is as much about innovation and technology as it is about the game itself. From Adidas’ high-tech, real-time data-gathering ball to even Nendo’s airless football, these designs are not just about playing a game; they’re about changing it.

This electric bicycle turns into a kick scooter but lacks the comfort one would desire

\Personal mobility vehicles come in various genres and form factors depending on the specific needs of the user. There is a wide array of options from the upbeat Segway and kick scooters to the more conventional bicycles and unicycles. The creative Asian market in Japan and China is also witness to the more futuristic personal pods that are a cross between a Segway and a scooter.

This electric bicycle further takes the hybrid nature of personal commuters to the next level with Cake bike-inspired aesthetics. The modular nature of this commuter makes it a good option for every kind of user. It can be your scooter, a Cake bike, or an electric ride.

Designer: YU ID

The ride also draws inspiration from everyday gadgets, adapting their sleek form without compromising on the robust aesthetic that’s vital to support the body weight. Talking of supporting the rider’s weight, the saddle takes an awkward-looking shape that’ll not keep the rider comfortable for long. This form factor flows with the slim character of the bicycle but is somewhat of a comfort killer I have to say.

The rear middle section of the Electric Mobility bicycle can be detached for the kick-scooter functionality. A pretty big kick scooter it has to be said, perfect for above-than-average people. Would anyone fancy riding this? Well, this commuter has many bases untouched that should have been taken into consideration while designing the blueprint.