Qatar University students presenting the ‘hologram fan experience’ idea during the SC’s Challenge 22 Innovation Award.

By Sports Reporter/Doha

Imagine walking into one of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar proposed host venues in seven years’ time sporting a pair of high-tech augmented reality glasses which will turn your match-day experience into something completely different. Thanks to these high-tech devices, fans would be able to watch the match from various sides, learn additional information about the players in real time, and have access to a wide array of other features.
That is the vision of four students from Qatar University, who came up with the idea and presented it to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC)’s Challenge 22 Innovation Award. It was so promising that they became one of the winning teams which will develop their idea into a prototype with the support of Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP).
Computer science students Ali El Dous, Khaled Mohamed and Taofik al-Nass, as well as electrical engineering student Salman Badnava, are the brains behind this idea. In an interview with www.sc.qa, El Dous and al-Nass explained how after participating in another competition, they improved their concept and thereafter took part in Challenge 22.
Both El Dous and al-Nass have been given a real boost by their award-winning idea, and have advice ready for innovators and entrepreneurs out there: “Don’t give up on your idea, continue cultivating it and make sure it’s relevant to the current time. Have in mind that if it’s an idea related to the technological world, resources to develop it are probably available already.”
Challenge 22 Phase 1 winners consisted of six projects and winning teams that were awarded at Qatar National Convention Center in June 2015. The winners were awarded with a cash prize, as well as the opportunity to work with mentors in their field of interest, develop their idea into a prototype and ultimately the chance to showcase their ideas on a global platform.
The creators reminisced about the valuable feedback the team received from the Challenge 22 reviewers and tutors. El Dous said: “We modified a lot based on this feedback including the business model and technical issues.”
Ali El Dous explained: “We used a concept based on the use of augmented reality to enhance the fan experience. Augmented reality is when you add another view layer to the real physical one. Now there are augmented reality glasses that allow you to continue seeing the real world and also add another computer-generated layer.”
The concept created by these young innovators would allow fans to watch the match at the football stadium while also enjoying the benefits they would have if they watched it at home. For example, when they put on the glasses they can see the live game, and also have access to additional information about the match which will enrich their experience in the stadium.
Fellow innovator Taofik al-Nass said: “The main goal is for the user to be able to focus on the match they’re watching and also have access to variety of details that will make their experience much more enjoyable and personalised.”
The coming period will be an exciting one for the innovative team, as they turn their concept into reality. Working with leading experts at QSTP, the team of innovators will have a prototype ready in approximately less than a year. The next step will be finding potential investors or customers that will fund this idea. If things go as planned, the team hopes to test the prototype in one of the Qatari stadiums with the support of Qatar Stars League. By 2022, the creators envision a market emerging for visiting fans and the creation of a related application.