Adidas launch the most technologically advanced football - After Adidas presented the miCoach Smart Football last year during the 2013 UEFA Champions League Festival, Adidas today confirmed that the new Adidas Smart Ball is available to order from today. The Adidas Smart Ball features a sensor package, cleverly suspended and protected in the center of the Smart Ball, analyzes the forces placed on the ball during its flight.
Adidas started to work on the Smart Ball in 2009 about five years ago, to allow players to be a better footballer. Even though no professional club is using the ball now, Adidas want to establish the smart ball as individual training tool.
Adidas miCoach Smart Ball White / Multicolor
The Adidas Smart Ball is made for dead-ball kicking training, such as penalties, free-kicks, shooting, corners, long passes or goal kicks.
The Adidas Smart Ball relays data on the kicking power, visual flight trajectories as well as depicts ball spin, and shows impact points via Bluetooth to the adidas miCoach Smart Ball app, available for Apple Devices. The Data is used to help train players with information about the kicking technique to bend free kicks, launch knuckle balls and generate more shot power.
Although the Adidas Smart Ball is peppered with a unique sensor construction, the ball is maintaining the weight and feel of a regulation size 5 ball. According to Adidas, players who used one with the system and one without were not able to tell the difference.
A companion app interprets and displays near real-time feedback on power, spin, strike and trajectory, while the app also offers the possibility to try to replicate pro level free kicks.
As the ball was tested with the same standards as the World Cup Ball, the technology in the Adidas Smart Ball will not be damaged when the ball is kicked at 70mph against a wall over 3,500 times.
Speaking at the retail launch, Christian DiBenedetto, adidas senior innovation director said, "We're proud to bring the miCoach Smart Ball to football 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."
The battery life of the Adidas Smart Ball is approximately 2000 kicks / one week, while the ball can be charged wireless with the included charger.
The Adidas miCoach Smart Ball is avaialble from today for $/€ 299.00 exclusively at the adidas.com and Apple Retail Stores. That makes the Adidas Smart Ball more expensive than a regular football, a reflective of the technology in the product.