You have decided to forgo the comforts of home and made the trip out to the stadium to cheer on your favorite team. It’s getting close to the end of half time and now your little ones decide they are hungry and need to use the rest room, Problem is you need to go and hustle back fast. But which concession line is fastest? Which restroom line is shortest? Well if your team is the Miami Dolphins, you might be in luck next season. The Miami Dolphins have teamed up with Qualcomm on a program to answer questions like these, as well as discounts, team info, and more.
With Stadium attendance becoming more and more of a concern for NFL teams, this can be seen as a measure taken to enhance the stadium experience for attendees. The program utilizes Gimbal beacon technology developed by Qualcomm, a San Diego, California-based semiconductor company most know for it’s mobile processor chips found in today’s hottest Android and Windows Phone 8 handsets. Beacons are placed around the stadium creating a “geo-fence” in and around the stadium where attendees in the zone will receive notifications pushed to the app they have downloaded on their phones. These notifications vary based on proximity, time, and date and vary from discount at team stores you pass by, concession stands, or the closest bathroom with the shortest line, even info on the team or players if you pass by certain landmarks.
The program was tested earlier this season at a game versus the New England Patriots where 50 of the Beacons had been placed around the stadium and certain fans were invited to test the technology. The game, as well as the test, was a success and the Dolphins will be adding hundreds more of the beacons to the stadium in preparation for the 2014 season.
This is a rather unique way to combat the malaise growing around the stadium experience that the NFL has been facing. The Dolphins are currently the only team that has signed up to use the technology, but if it goes well, we can expect to see other teams jumping onboard.
CJ Washington (@BKCJ)
