Hawk-Eye (from the English hawk - a hawk, eye - an eye) is a technology that was first used in sports competitions in 2001, in football - in 2012. This system helps to resolve controversial situations that arise during the game / competition.
Hawk-Eye development history
Hawk-Eye technology was originally tested in tennis and cricket because there was often controversy about the fact that the ball touched the line. Quarrels between the referees flared up right on the playing field, which interfered with the course of the game and the psychological mood of the opponents.
In 2001, Paul Hawkins and David Sherry patented a "tracking processing system for ball games" that was tested the same year in a cricket competition between Pakistan and England. Since 2006, the system has been actively used in tennis, and in 2012 the IFAB (International Council of Football Associations) approved the use of the Hawk-Eye in football.
What is Hawk-Eye?
The Hawk-Eye software is based on motion capture technology (a method of animating objects using computer image recognition). In football, this system consists of 14 cameras, 7 around each goal. Each of the cameras covers the game space at a certain angle, taking about 600 frames per second.
The rules of the game have been added to the program. The system recognizes the ball in the background of the court, players or the audience at any speed. The images obtained from each camera are used to build a three-dimensional model of the coordinates of the ball. In football, the coordinates of the ball are needed to resolve controversial issues about the fact that the ball crossed the goal line, i.e. for automatic head detection. The signal to cross the goal line is given within half a second.
This technology has more than once resolved controversial moments in the most serious competitions in the world. Its improvement and distribution continues.
