Information Augmented Basketball Jersey

TeamAwear consists of a set of basketball jerseys that are equipped with electroluminescent wires and surfaces that reflect specific player-specific statistics in real-time. Each jersey can be wirelessly controlled to represent game-related information on the player in real-time, such as the amount of individual fouls, scores and time alerts.

A participatory user-centered approach guided the development process towards a more meaningful, ethically and ergonomically valid design. The system aims to enhance the awareness and understanding of game-related public information for all stakeholders, including players, referees, coaches and audience members. We initially hypothesized that such increased awareness would positively influence in-game decisions by players, resulting in a more interesting and enjoyable game play experience for all participants. Instead, the case study evaluation demonstrated TeamAwear’s perceived usefulness particularly for non-playing stakeholders, such as the audience, referees and coaches, supporting more accurate coaching assessments, better understanding of in-game situations and increased enjoyment for spectators. The high amount of game-related cognitive load on the players during game-play seems to hinder its potentially positive influence on in-game decisions.