Google has revealed more details about its collaboration with Adidas and EA Sports – and it looks to make real football into FIFA Sport.
The shows use Google's Jacquard technology – tags that "weave digital experiences into the things you love, wear, and use every day".
The company has previously worked with Levis to create smart patches in denim jackets, allowing you to control your phone through the material; this project marks its first collaboration with Adidas and EA Sports.
And the functionality looks fantastic. Previous iterations of the tag – in the Levi collab, for example – have worked via hand gestures: you'd turn up your music by touching your smart patch a particular way, for example, or by touching the strap of a rucksack.
This version looks to work via your "touch, control, speed and kicks" whilst playing football – and is able to track your movements and help you improve your game. As with many fitness trackers, you'll see how you're performing on the field – only it won't be showing you heart rate or time exercised but more specific details about time with the ball, specific movements made and the speed and trajectory of your kicks.
This sort of detail will be invaluable to anyone who's serious about football – but there are some fun additional features too that tie in with the tech's tagline of "play connected".
Not only will you be able to see your own stats if you want to improve your own game, your data will integrate with FIFA Mobile – so both your real and virtual teams will be able to use your football prowess for their benefit.
There will also be online leaderboards and other football challenges to raise your game.
No news on how much the tag will cost yet, but more details will be available on March 10.
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