A new app could bring cheers back to empty sports stadiums

Each week, we spotlight a cool innovation recommended by some of the industry's top tech writers. This week's pick is an app to fill the sports fan void.

A new smartphone app could bring cheers back to empty sports stadiums, said Justin McCurry at The Guardian​. As many sports leagues attempt to resume play without any fans allowed to attend, Japanese tech firm Yamaha devised a "Remote Cheerer" system to fill the void of "atmosphere-sapping silence" in empty arenas. Fans following the game from home could use the app to "encourage — or berate — players via their smartphones, their voices reverberating around the stadium in real time."

A recent field test in a Japanese soccer arena deployed 58 loudspeakers and allowed remote users to choose rhythmic clapping or chanting options that could be customized for the specific teams playing in the venue. "The app does not, as yet, allow fans to question the referee's eyesight."

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