Haptic jersey lets fans feel the emotions of rugby players

The NL Fan Jersey uses haptic feedback motors to create an immersive fan experience known as 'fourth dimension entertainment.'

Until now, the best way for a fan to feel close to their sports idol was to wear a shirt emblazoned with their name. But the NL Fan Jersey designed by We:eX, promises to take that connection to a whole new level, by enabling the wearer to experience the real-time reactions of players through haptic feedback motors.

The wearable merges hardware, software and apparel design to create an immersive fan experience known as ‘fourth dimension entertainment.’ The jersey, which is worn by players as well as fans, collects information about the athlete’s heartbeat, exhaustion, adrenaline, excitement and impact, and transmits it to their supporters — to convey their actions and emotions during the match — via haptic feedback on the chest.

The NL Fan Jersey was launched earlier this month when the Dutch Ladies 7’s rugby team wore the shirts for their Olympic qualifier in Amsterdam — Rugby 7s will be a featured in the Olympic games for the first time in the summer of 2016. The jersey is an adaptation of We:eX’s ‘Alert Shirt’, which was produced in collaboration with cable company Foxtel. The tool works to expand the interest in new and emerging sports by enhancing viewers’ emotional response to the game.

Could similar technology be used to enhance experiences in performance arts, too?