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There's just nothing quite like playing a game of pick up basketball in the city. And, in one part of town, the game just got a little more interesting—courtesy of a brand new "smart hoop" that uses cutting-edge technology to elevate the popular sport.
The modern basketball hoop, which was unveiled on August 27, was created by the tech company huupe, which was founded by friends Paul Anton and Lyth Saeed, who wanted to bridge the gap between real life sports and massively popular online versions of the games.
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The smart basketball hoop incorporates several cool features, including a waterproof backboard boasting a video screen that delivers expert training content and a webcam that gives live feedback on shot accuracy, trajectory and court positioning, essentially giving players free live coaching to up their game.
Arguably the coolest feature, though, is one that enables real-time shooting contests with players from around the world, with 99% accuracy in tracking remote competitions so you can engage in a match-up with folks in another country, just as you'd be able to do in a video game.
"We're donating this huupe to the city of New York to create opportunities for more kids to fall in love with the game, see a new type of innovation and to bring more people into the family of basketball," said huuper founder Paul Anton in an official statement. "We want to see people, especially kids, experience the same excitement and innovation that inspired us to create huupe."
Tompkins Square Park in the East Village seemed like the perfect place to pilot the hoop, considering it serves as a crossroads for local residents, tourists and students.
Technology like this will continue to change the way we play sports and allow players to engage with a wider community of athletes. As we all experienced with the recent Olympics in Paris, the spirit of competition really can bring people from different walks of life together, and hopefully the new hoop at Tomkins Square will become a shining example of that for years to come.