Written by Cameron DaSilva at FoxSports.com
The NFL has taken steps to make football more technologically advanced. Sure, Microsoft Surface tablets have been met with mixed reviews on the sidelines (just ask Aaron Rodgers and Johnny Manziel), but there have been advances in technology that can help diagnose and analyze injuries, particularly ones to the head.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are experimenting with a new kind of tool on the practice field: robots. “MVP,” or Mobile Virtual Player, as it’s called, is a robotic tackling dummy that’s remote-control operated. It flies all over the field and simulates a real football player. It moves at an accurate speed, and best of all, it never gets tired.
“The applications we are quickly finding are endless,” head coach Mike Tomlin told the team’s official website. “It never gets tired. It runs at an appropriate football speed. All of the position groups are getting an opportunity to use it. It’s funny, you just put it on the field and watch the guys and they show you the applications. It’s been fun watching that.”
The technology was developed at Dartmouth, though it’s not in its final stage of production. The Steelers’ dummy is still in test phase, with the final product expected to be available in 2017. Tomlin is already seeing the benefits, given that it prevents tackling between teammates, potentially avoiding injuries.
“The players are generally open, particularly this time of year, to new things,” Tomlin said. “We always try to challenge them with some new tool that will help them grow and develop, and they are always looking for new tools to help them grow and develop. I think they are excited.
“I imagine it’s a great tool from a tackling tech standpoint. In today’s NFL, with player safety the focus that it is, I think it’s going to provide opportunities to improve in that area without the hand to hand or man to man combat associated with that teaching.”
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