No one’s going to live sporting events anytime soon. Yamaha hopes it can keep team spirit alive with its new app, though. Remote Cheerer lets fans tap on their devices to support their favorite players -- or boo their challengers. The app is meant to be linked to a stadium’s audio system so that athletes can hear the pre-recorded soundbites as if people were actually in the stands.
Yamaha performed a field test earlier this month at Japan’s Shizuoka Stadium. The company placed 58 speakers around the outdoor venue and had users send applause and jeers to different sections. The company says that users were able to feel like they were at the soccer match, despite the size of the stadium.
Though this test was for a soccer game, the Remote Cheerer app could have applications in areas like esports or other live events that fans watch via livestream or TV. If athletes are able to compete, but spectators aren’t able to attend a game, this could be a fun way to stay involved -- and could be particularly useful during a global pandemic.