LED gym floor = Tron meets Ender's Game

[Kaido]

Haha this is so cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLaV-sDLgOY

It's a strong glass floor with the right amount of friction built-in, with an aluminum sub-structure and LED marking lights. More videos on their Youtube channel and more info on their website.

"We are thinking about running tracks with an indicator on the floor moving at a set speed for continuous running training, virtual barriers for football and handball training that appear and move randomly and are not allowed to be crossed by the ball to simulate defend opponents," say ASB of the flooring's capabilities. "To enhance the professional presentation LED systems under the floor can also be used to show the score, match statistics and nation flags."

Other suggestions include using the floor as a giant screen that can show advertising, being able to illuminate escape routes during emergencies, programmable dance floors and mood lighting for health spas.

Yay we're living in the future! :awe:

 

[Red Storm]

Cool stuff, but seriously blue LED?! It's only the most blinding, annoying LED color of them all.

 

[Kaido]

Cool stuff, but seriously blue LED?! It's only the most blinding, annoying LED color of them all.

I loved blue LED's back in their heydey, until I got a Logitech 5.1 speaker set and the laser would shoot me in the eye when watching movies. A piece of electrical tape solved that issue, and suddenly, just like that, I was over blue LED's.

 

[destrekor]

I loved blue LED's back in their heydey, until I got a Logitech 5.1 speaker set and the laser would shoot me in the eye when watching movies. A piece of electrical tape solved that issue, and suddenly, just like that, I was over blue LED's.

Eh... if you hand me anything OTHER than blue or white LEDs, I will punch babies, kick kittens, and any other mean and nasty things I can think up. 😉

I have electronics with about an equal mix of both white and blue. I can't stand all one or the other, so it's worked out fairly well (honestly, I really haven't TRIED to make it this way, it just worked out).

I am tired of, and absolutely cannot tolerate, green, amber, yellow, orange LEDs.
It's especially ugly for devices that, for better or worse, need to be in/on/near the entertainment center, though they aren't the main entertainment center devices (things like cable modem, a router, a switch, IR receivers, computer (power and HDD activity).

Too many damn amber and similar LEDs (partially color blind here, don't ask what those damn colors are!).




Regarding this floor: White would work best, with one of two things:
either a nearly opaque (or barely translucent, take your pick 😛) floor of some sort so that barely any of the line lights actually make it through, or at least some setup that allows for such to be "switched on" over the parts of the floor actively displaying line lights.

Essentially, it'd be enough light to see clear lines, but they would hardly even appear to "shine".

Think of shining light through really thick/dark smoky glass/plastic. You get the light, but it's so strongly scattered, weakened, and softened, that it appears very dull.
I think that would be a pretty damn neat look as well.

As it is, as a player, I'd probably be annoyed. It could be a trick of exposure/white balance, but it seems like stepping over lines and looking down would be highly offensive to the eyes, which could result in screwed up plays.


Also: what ever happened to actually seeing the first down and current ball position lines, in real time, at football stadiums? It can't be THAT expensive at this point. They talked about that forever ago. I WANT IT.
🙂

 

[The Boston Dangler]

i'm sure it's coming to millionaire high schools soon

 

[TallBill]

Really interested in the floor surface and how it really feels before getting excited.

 

[Agent11]

You would think they could do it in red, white and blue. Would add some flare to the national anthem during sporting events.

 

[DrPizza]

I doubt that sports rules will allow such lighting. Thus, it's kind of dead in its tracks. Though, speaking of track, I DO love the idea of the lights moving around in a circle for pacing. I know at the gym, when I'm on the exercise equipment, having an opponent programmed in to keep pace with - and that's just a dot on the screen - is fairly motivational.