Dublin startup Field of Vision has developed a ground-breaking handheld device to allow visually impaired individuals to feel the action of live sport.  

Teaming up with Dublin’s Bohemian Football Club, the company of former Trinity College students created a haptic-response tablet. AI cameras placed across sports stadiums track the position of the ball and other pieces of key information, which is then relayed to the tablet in real time. Held by the user, its magnetic ball mirrors the game’s movements, while haptic feedback adds intensity, conveying key actions like passes, tackles and goals through vibrations. 

Over 100 million visually impaired sports fans across the world rely entirely on commentary to experience live sports, co-founder David Deneher told Business Post. “From speaking with visually impaired people, the general consensus is that audio-described commentary is a help but it doesn’t convey the intensity of a live game.” 

Field of Vision has so far raised €250,000 (NZ$446,488) and gathered global partners to support their product, the most significant being with Telstra, the Australian telecoms company. Looking to show off its 5G technology, Telstra reached out to Field of Vision in 2022 and subsequently adapted its technology for use in Aussie Rules in Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.