Virtual reality training is the hottest technological advance in football these days, with top-flight Division-I college teams and NFL franchises making use of the experience to better prepare players without having to risk injury.
However, technological advances aren't reserved strictly for high-powered gridiron programs. Proof of that is Dartmouth's football team utilizing two remote-controlled robotic tackling dummies — created by engineering students at the Ivy League School — during a recent practice. If Dartmouth continues to see solid results, it may decide to make the robotic dummies a permanent staple for tackling during practices.
The remote-controlled robotic tackling dummy — called the Mobile Virtual Player (MVP) — was recently introduced to the team with the intention to prevent and reduce the risk of concussions and head and neck injuries during practice, as they simulate human movement on the football field.
Although there isn't anything that could truly replace tackling a fellow player, footage of Dartmouth's practice demonstrates how well these high-tech dummies move.
"Having that mobility is really what separates us from any other technology on the field," MVP engineer Elliot Kastner told local WMUR 9 News. "Everything is either stationary or moved by another player or players are moving while they're engaged with it."
Engineers behind the MVP are also diligently working to make the controls even easier for coaches to move the robotic dummies and replicate players' actual moves. If the robotic tackling dummies are proven to reduce injuries over time, it will be interesting to see if other college football programs and even NFL franchises latch onto the technology.
On a completely separate note, though, if these high-tech dummies move so smoothly, how long is it going to take before all 22 players on the field are all robots?
