Vodafone combines 5G and haptics to let rugby players 100 miles apart tackle each other

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WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

This is just one example of how 5G will let us work and play in new ways, and it’s just the beginning.

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Vodafone showed off several demos of its new 5G network in London the other week, but the main one was somewhat bizarre with a world-first demonstration of the power of 5G to transmit touch using haptic technology.

Professional rugby players from Wasps Rugby took part in the stunt in which Juan De Jongh instantaneously felt the impact of a rugby tackle made by Will Rowlands that was made over 100 miles away at the Ricoh Stadium in Coventry. He tackled a padded cylinder containing sensors which you can see in the video.

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De Jongh wore a Teslasuit, a full immersion haptic suit that I’ve talked about before, for the demonstration, and the suit was able to simulate the feeling of the tackle through a full body haptic feedback system that provides sensation.

Watch the world’s first remote rugby tackle

This electro-stimulation improves the learning experience by increasing immersion, fostering 360-degree awareness and engaging muscle memory.

Before the live demo but after practice, De Jongh said: “I’ve never experienced anything like this. It felt like something from the Matrix. This technology could not only help athletes to train, but to get back into training after injury.”

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And that’s just the beginning, so will we one day be playing virtual rugby across the world with one another? Well, there’s no reason why not.

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Matthew Griffin

Fanatical Futurist ● Int'l Advisor and Keynote Speaker ● Disruption, Futures and Innovation expert

Matthew Griffin, described as “The Adviser behind the Advisers” and a “Young Kurzweil,” is the founder and CEO of the World Futures Forum and the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures consultancy working between the dates of 2020 to 2070, and is an award winning futurist, and author of “Codex of the Future” series. Regularly featured in the global media, including AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, RT, Viacom, and WIRED, Matthew’s ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of revolutionary emerging technologies on global culture, industry and society, is unparalleled. Recognised for the past six years as one of the world’s foremost futurists, innovation and strategy experts Matthew is an international speaker who helps governments, investors, multi-nationals and regulators around the world envision, build and lead an inclusive, sustainable future. A rare talent Matthew’s recent work includes mentoring Lunar XPrize teams, re-envisioning global education and training with the G20, and helping the world’s largest organisations envision and ideate the future of their products and services, industries, and countries. Matthew's clients include three Prime Ministers and several governments, including the G7, Accenture, Aon, Bain & Co, BCG, Credit Suisse, Dell EMC, Dentons, Deloitte, E&Y, GEMS, Huawei, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Lego, McKinsey, PWC, Qualcomm, SAP, Samsung, Sopra Steria, T-Mobile, and many more.