Tech Tuesday: Virtual Reality Quarterback Simulator

Football can be dangerous but virtual reality is not. Watch data visualization intern Nathan Lewis break down QBSIM and Striver, two virtual reality companies that are revolutionizing how athletes train.

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Hi my name is Nathan Lewis a data visualization intern at get real and today for Tech Tuesday we’re talking about QB VR training but what is QB VR training and how did it come to be Ted Sundquist Denver Bronco’s director of scouting from 1995 to 2001 saw the progress not the quarterback as flawed so the former air force intelligence officer tuned to a strategy the military uses with soldiers before combat realistic simulators and supplemental training today there are many different VR QB training companies all with their own niche however we will talk about two of them today let’s look at Sundquist’s sports VTS QBSIM which is one of the companies that we’re going to be talking about today it’s a VR football training prototype that prioritizes quarterback instruction it builds animated visuals like those used in flight simulators [Music] um quarterback right now is the leading position in American football however training QB talent is problematic as it requires significant investments the whole team engagement and has high injury risks so this is why virtual reality could potentially help a quarterback become better the team developed a quarterback training simulation that combines realistic training experience with an immersive and fully responsive virtual environment players can interact with artificial intelligence comprise of over 10 years of game data and statistics and learn faster without any injury risks this solution revolutionizes QB training allowing players to master the passing techniques while developing scheme recognition pocket presence decision making awareness and play making skills this QB sim could be very helpful to QB’s in many aspects um get them game time ready without having all the risks involved and this is only one way VR can help QB’s train and other athletes striver another VR device founded by former Stanford kicker Derek Belch already counts eight NFL teams including the Arizona cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers among its clients this VR device records 360 degree video of football plays where the players can review the footage and gain insight for example you could pause the footage at key junctures and multiple choice prompts will appear in virtual reality where’s the middle linebacker what coverage is the defense running which wide receiver is open and why snap in I’m looking to my far left that guy slides over right there boom boom there was number four way over there there was my running back covered so I made the right choice I made the right choice VR footage um can also be helpful in many other sports for example the Troy Taylor the high performance director at US ski and snowboard used striver to help improve his team especially due to the pandemic which inhibited them from practicing before the Olympics and practicing in person the athletes are using 360 degree video and VR in multiple ways in competition from inspections of the race course helping athletes lend the lines they will race through to helping athletes rehabilitate from injuries says Troy Taylor in addition VR QB training and sports training in general can help athletes in many facets of their athletic career as well as recovering from injuries giving them experience when they are unable to do it themselves because they’re injured what is left unexplored VR technology is still expensive but as cost decreased more athletes and younger athletes will be able to use this technology think about the impact that QB VR training can have on young children who have limited or no experience in game time situations in addition as VR technology becomes lighter and more movable QB’s will be able to move more like they usually do on the field of play which will also make the technology more immersive and more attractive to QB for perspective QB’s um that concludes our Tech Tuesday this is Nathan Lewis and today we talked about QB VR training a very interesting niche in the cube in the VR world I hope you enjoyed please subscribe to our socials and have a great rest of your day.