OneCourt’s Innovative Device Translates Live Gameplay into Trackable Vibrations, Providing Individuals Experiencing Blindness or Low Vision with an Authentic Gameday Experience
PORTLAND, Ore. (April 11, 2024) – The Portland Trail Blazers have teamed up with OneCourt to become the first NBA franchise to pilot their devices during a live game. The OneCourt team attended Tuesday’s game against the Pelicans for the first pilot and will continue the pilot at the Trail Blazers final two home games this week. The two organizations have worked with local nonprofits to invite individuals with blindness or low vision to participate in the pilot, providing local fans an opportunity to test out cutting-edge technology. Click HERE for photos for media use.
Using generative audio and haptics, OneCourt translates live gameplay into trackable vibrations, so fans can experience live sports literally with their fingerprints. The Trail Blazers worked with the NBA to provide OneCourt access to the NBA’s live gameplay tracking data in real-time. The real-time data is processed by OneCourt before it’s experienced by the fan as intuitive vibrations on the surface of the haptic display.
“This week’s OneCourt pilot is a testament to our organization’s commitment to both innovation and accessibility,” said Matthew Gardner, Portland Trail Blazers Senior Director of Customer Insights. “The pilot represents a unique opportunity to innovate the gameday experience while opening the door for more fans to experience the thrill of live sports. We’re excited to work with our Pacific Northwest neighbors in OneCourt and hope that our pilot paves the way for other teams, leagues, and venues to explore additional ways to make the gameday experience more accessible for fans of all abilities.”
“We’re thrilled to launch OneCourt technology in-arena for the first time with the Portland Trail Blazers,” said Antyush Bollini, COO and Cofounder at OneCourt. “This collaboration signifies a major stepping stone in making live sports truly accessible for fans with blindness or low vision, and we are excited to see the positive impact this pilot has on our community. This pilot will pave the way for widespread adoption by other teams and leagues, transforming the gameday experience for countless fans.”
ABOUT ONECOURT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
OneCourt Technologies, Inc. is an assistive technology startup based in Seattle, WA bringing live sports to fans with visual disabilities. Over 250 million people with Blindness or Low Vision face exclusion from live sports entertainment due to inaccessible broadcasts and environments. Most fans today use the radio, but it’s delayed and often fails to convey ball and player movement. OneCourt worked with the Blind and Low Vision community to design a laptop-sized haptic display that uses spatial vibration and generative audio to convey gameplay in real-time. Now fans can watch the game with their fingertips. OneCourt has received notable recognition and support from industry in the past year – OneCourt was awarded a grant by Micrsosoft’s AI for Accessibility Program, won the 2024 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Startup Competition, won the 2024 CES Accessibility Contest. For more information, visit onecourt.io.
ABOUT THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Members of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Portland Trail Blazers were founded in 1970 and purchased by the late Paul G. Allen in 1988. The team’s rich heritage includes 37 playoff appearances, three trips to the NBA Finals, an NBA championship in 1977 and a commitment to community service and sustainability. The Trail Blazers are dedicated to positively impacting underserved kids and their families throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington where they live, learn and play. Portland is the first and only professional sports franchise to receive the prestigious National Points of Light Award for excellence in corporate and community service. The Trail Blazers home arena, Moda Center, is the first existing arena to earn LEED Platinum Certification in 2019 after receiving LEED Gold Recertification in 2015 and becoming the first existing professional sports venue in the world to receive LEED Gold status in 2010. The team is also one of the founding members of the Green Sports Alliance. For more information, visit trailblazers.com.
