- Blind soccer, a game played by visually impaired individuals, showcases remarkable reliance on auditory cues, vocal communication, and trust among teammates.
- Players navigate the field using sound cues from a specially designed ball and verbal guidance from teammates, paralleling the principles of ultrasonic sensor technology.
- This fusion of sensory adaptation and technological innovation underscores blind soccer’s relevance beyond sports, with applications in fields such as autonomous vehicles, consumer electronics, and robotics.
Unforeseen Connection Between Blind Soccer and Autonomous Vehicles: Navigating Environments Through Sound
Blind soccer, a game played by individuals with visual impairments, is a remarkable five-player sport reliant on vocal cues, auditory signals, and trust among teammates. With the exception of the goalkeeper, all players are visually impaired, either fully blind or with low vision, utilizing eye masks during play and a ball equipped with noise-producing elements. Notably, the Japanese men’s team achieved a fifth-place finish at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics and secured second position at the Blind Soccer World Grand Prix in France in 2022.
In blind soccer, all outfield players, except for the goalkeeper, wear blindfolds. Witnessing these players dribble, pass, and shoot with their vision obscured is truly astonishing. They execute precise passes, evade opponents while dribbling, and deliver shots with remarkable velocity, showcasing exceptional skills driven solely by auditory cues.
During gameplay, spectators are prohibited from cheering, ensuring players rely solely on auditory signals. Cheers erupt only upon scoring a goal, providing crucial feedback to the players. Despite appearing as if they can see the ball and their surroundings, players who transitioned to blind soccer following visual impairment onset express initial fears and disorientation on the field.
Rei Kawamura, a member of Japan’s national blind soccer team, recounted in an interview with the Japan Football Association, “When I first stepped onto the pitch, I felt lost and was too frightened to move.” So, how do these players navigate the game?
The soccer ball used in blind matches contains a metal plate, emitting a distinct shuffling sound when in motion, enabling players to track its location and movement. Additionally, guides positioned behind the opposing team’s goal vocally communicate positional information, distance to the goal, and timing for shots.
When approaching an opponent possessing the ball, outfield players must vocally announce “Voy!” (Spanish for “I go”), averting potential collisions. Meanwhile, goalkeepers with low vision or sight retain their goalkeeping duties without blindfolds, simultaneously monitoring ball movement.
Conventionally, approximately 80% of sensory input is visual. However, blind soccer, emphasizing auditory perception, sharpens players’ reliance on sound and voice cues over sight.
Players discern the ball’s position and goal direction by interpreting its sound and teammate guidance. They gauge distance to the ball and opponents based on sound volume and pitch. This method parallels ultrasonic sensor technology, utilized in diverse electronic applications.
Ultrasonic sensors, transmitting high-frequency sound waves, measure distance by calculating wave round-trip time. This technology, akin to blind soccer’s reliance on sound, finds application in fish finders, employing ultrasonic waves to locate underwater objects based on reflection time.
Unlike optical sensors, ultrasonic counterparts excel in measuring distances irrespective of target material transparency or environmental conditions like fog or sunlight glare. Widely employed in self-driving vehicles, consumer electronics, drones, robots, and AR/VR systems, ultrasonic sensors epitomize the fusion of technology and sensory adaptation seen in blind soccer.
