Was that leg truly before the wicket? Thermal cameras may be able to tell better than any human eyes ever could.
A new range of specialist thermal cameras that have been developed by a firm known as Selex Galileo are to be used by cricket umpires to help detect ‘Hot Spots’, highlighting when there has been any contact between batsmen, the bat itself and the ball.
The range of extremely accurate thermal cameras is actually used by the military inside Chinook helicopters. Reportedly, the camera can detect individuals from up to 70km even in darkness, meaning a mere cricket ball is nothing in comparison.
The cameras have already been tested in Australian cricket and now BBG Sports here in the UK has signed up to start using the technology as well.
Kennedy McEwen from Selex Galileo said: “Our cameras are really top of the range.
“For cricket, the much higher shutter speed of our camera means you can actually track the ball in flight. Previously the bat and ball was just a blur, but now you can see the bat clearly hitting the ball and can even see the heat from the ball’s impact mid-swing.”
There’s also a lot of interest for using the devices in other sports such as baseball.
