"Smart" shin guards with electronic devices
One of the most important technological trends in sport, the collection and transmission of data on the performance and physical condition of athletes, does not stop at the shin guards either: numerous new patent applications envisage the use of electronic instruments.
For example, a shin guard with integrated multimodal sensor system for recording and analysing the movement of the lower leg is proposed, which has a data memory and its own power supply (DE 10 2015 003 383).
The shin guard with chip (WO 002017178880 A1) or with sensors for recording a ball kick (WO 002015169915 A1) or for recording position and movement data (WO 002017081555 A1) should also collect huge amounts of data.
Shin guard which enables haptic, remote-controlled signals (WO 00201709595956 A1)
Even communicating shin guards were invented: WO 00201709595956 A1 enables haptic, remote-controlled signals with which the trainer can give instructions to the player. For example, if it vibrates at a certain point on the calf, the player knows to switch from right to left.
However, such means of communication are not yet allowed in professional football - and it is questionable when or whether that will ever be the case.