The Dallas Cowboys are looking to the virtual world to help improve their on-field performances in the real one. Earlier this week, the NFL team announced that they will incorporate drone cameras into their practice sessions to help document their training. The reigning NFC East champions will also start utilizing virtual reality headsets to help their players better understand what happens on the field. They will be the first team in the NFL to use such technology.
ESPN reports that the Cowboys struck a deal with StriVR Labs, a virtual reality company that provides cutting edge training solutions to sports teams at all levels of play. The network also reported that the Atlanta Falcons may soon follow suit and adopt the new StriVR technology in the near future.
The new cameras and headsets will give Cowboys players an immersive 360 degree view of the field of play, allowing them to fully monitor the line of scrimmage.
Tech website re/code were the first to break the news on the Cowboys' new partnership. In their report they mention that former Stanford University kicker Derek Belch was the mastermind behind striVR. The idea, which first began as Belch's a Master's Thesis, has now turned into a full company that has already served collegiate football programs like Arkansas, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Clemson.
In an interview with NBC Sports, Arkansas head coach Bret Bielma gushed about StriVR's potential saying: "It was one of the few times in your coaching career when you're watching something and you think, 'This is a game-changer, this is gonna change the way we teach young men."
The Cowboys are hoping that Bielma's words hold true as they look to build on the previous season and bring home the franchise's first Super Bowl title in nearly 20 years.
