rewrite this title Visually impaired NBA fans experience the game on a new level with haptic device

PORTLAND, Ore. — Brian Vu has been a fan of the NBA for 14 years, but he has never experienced a game like the one he attended last week in Portland.

Not only did his hometown Trail Blazers beat the Memphis Grizzlies, but also for the first time in his life, Vu said he felt involved in the game, every bit a part of the 18,491 in attendance at Moda Center.

Vu, who has low vision, didn’t see one play during the Blazers’ 115-99 win. But he felt every score, every turnover, every shot.

The 32-year-old Vu used a haptic device that allowed him to follow the action in real time through vibrations felt through his fingers. The device was unveiled this season by Seattle-based OneCourt. After three pilot trials last spring, the Trail Blazers in January became the first NBA team to offer the service to fans. Since then, Sacramento and Phoenix also have been offering the devices at games.

Using a laptop-sized device that has the outline of the basketball court, visually impaired users feel vibrations that indicate ball movement. An earpiece gives updates on the score, as well as the result of a play, whether it’s a steal, block, 3-pointer or something else.

OneCourt founder Jerred Mace likens the concept to a tactile animator, creating the illusion of movement through pixels.

“We’ve basically built this display that functions similarly to a visual screen, but instead of pixels that you see, these are pixels that you feel,” Mace said.

So while Vu couldn’t see Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, his favorite player, zip through the defense for a layup, he could feel the play through his fingertips, which were spread out over the device that rested on his legs.

Vu said his fan experience had changed exponentially.

“It’s pretty cool. I feel more independent,” Vu said. “I’m usually bugging my friend during the game, asking him, ‘What’s happening?’ So now, I can interpret the game in my head … and I don’t feel excluded.”

Vu attended the Blazers-Grizzlies game with his friend James Kim, the recipient of many of Vu’s elbow jabs and questions during games over the years. As the Blazers pulled away in the third quarter, Kim and Vu were in sync, oohing and aahing when Shaedon Sharpe dunked or Donovan Clingan rejected shots.

“Usually, he’s like, ‘Who shot that? What just happened?’ It was not that big of a deal for me, but this is definitely an upgrade,” Kim said of Vu. “He can enjoy the game without having to stop and get the details from me, so I think it’s great for him.”

Vu’s experience is exactly what Mace hoped for when he brainstormed the idea as a student at the University of Washington. Mace, 24, grew up in Spokane, Wash., with parents with disabilities. He also wore glasses so thick he was called “goggles” by classmates. He had astigmatism in his left eye — what people could see 80 feet away, he would see at only 20 feet — and although his vision improved through surgeries and by wearing a patch over the right eye, he was left with a lasting empathy and understanding for those with disabilities.

“You bundle those experiences together, and I think that just primed my heart for this work,” Mace said. “I think it’s given me a ton of perspective and appreciation for what it’s like to experience the world differently.”

During his junior year at Washington, he was surfing through social media when he discovered a video of a blind person watching a soccer match. A woman in the stands moved his hands across a board to mimic the game action.

The idea of OneCourt was born.

“The physicality of that experience stood out to me, and as someone who struggled with vision, it was such an appealing intersection for me,” Mace said.

The OneCourt staff, led by founder Jerred Mace (far right), has produced an effective way for visually impaired fans to enjoy athletic events. (Courtesy of OneCourt)

He presented his idea at the University of Washington’s 2022 Science and Technology Showcase. The idea was in its infancy, just a research poster with no physical product, but it won first place and a $2,000 prize.

The contest used tennis as the example, but Mace had broader aspirations. The key, he knew, would be linking the idea with readily available data. Beginning with the 2023-24 season, all NBA arenas were equipped with optical tracking technology, which captures player and ball movement in real time. The NBA says up to 20 tracking devices are stationed in the rafters of each arena.

Mace reached out to the Trail Blazers with the idea and, with their help, was introduced to the NBA. The league has seen value in working with Mace.

“We’ve been thrilled to work with Jerred and the team at OneCourt to use technology to help advance their mission of enabling visually impaired fans enjoy NBA games,” said Jason Bieber, the NBA’s vice president of new business ventures. “We’re especially excited to have OneCourt in the current cohort of NBA Launchpad companies so we can continue to partner and explore even more possibilities in the space.”

Within four months, Mace had access to the NBA data and began running pilot tests at the end of last season.

“The NBA is innovative when it comes to technology like this and when it comes to accessibility for their fans,” said Matthew Gardner, the Blazers’ senior director of customer insights. “They saw the good that it could do, and they were like, ‘Hey, no problem. We’ll unlock it for you.’”

Mace added: “I think (the NBA) is always looking for new applications for their data, and this happens to be a very special one. It’s not analytics on the back end. It’s not sports betting on the front end. It’s something that had the potential to change someone’s life and their entire experience and relationship with sports.”

A Blazers fan claps while a OneCourt device rests on his lap. The device creates a focused, yet intimate game-day scene for the visually impaired. (Courtesy of Portland Trail Blazers)

Vu and Kim can attest: When Vu experienced the Blazers game with the OneCourt device, it was a game changer. From their end zone seats, Vu and Kim were as locked in and vocal as anyone in the arena.

Vu couldn’t clap because it would cause his hands to lose track of the action. But his legs were in constant movement, and he joined in with the crowd chanting “DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!”

“There was a steal, and you can feel the vibration go to the other side — really fast — and I got super excited,” Vu said. “I knew why the crowd was cheering. Before, I wouldn’t understand what was happening.”

Vu estimated he used to go to Blazers games once a year. It was exciting to hear the crowd and the sounds, but he always felt detached and behind.

“Now it’s a whole different experience,” he said. “I’ve got the best of both worlds.”

Kim could only smile as he watched Vu’s hands moving quickly across the device, his feet nervously tapping.

“He’s really into the game,” Kim said, nodding toward his friend. “He’s, like, zoning in on it.”

Gardner said several other NBA teams have called and asked him for feedback after the Blazers debuted the device on Jan. 11. He tells the teams that nearly every home game has had at least one device checked out, and offering the device is essential to the fan experience.

“Being a fan should be for everybody,” Gardner said. “This unlocks an entirely new world for our fans who are blind and have low vision. We’ve seen it across all the faces of those who have used it so far.”

Mace said his company of eight employees, five of whom work full time, is bracing for the demand as more teams inquire about the services. Portland and Sacramento have five devices that can be reserved ahead of time or checked out on the concourse, while Phoenix has 10 devices. Fans do not need to pay for the device, thanks to Ticketmaster, an NBA sponsor.

Mace says the impact expands beyond the number of people using the device.

“One might think, ‘Oh, this device just impacts five people in a stadium.’ But really, the ripple effects are incredible,” Mace said. “Now, the circle of who is going to the game — friends and family — has expanded because everyone can share the experience.”

Vu said the device was easy to use after listening to a two-minute tutorial, but he wishes the audio could include specific indications, like which player has the ball and which player is shooting. Those could be updates for the future.

For now, Vu said knowing the Blazers offer the device increases his chances of attending more games.

“Oh, 1,000 percent,” Vu said. “Instead of maybe one game a year, I could see myself going to five a year. It’s just a better experience.”

(Top photo courtesy of Portland Trail Blazers)