"Cameras, Robots and GPS: Small Tech Firms Seek World Cup Boost"
Quoting from the site wsj.com Posted by:Dr Ahmed.M.Shaban The ball bounces over the goal line past Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon as Costa Rica’s Bryan Ruiz scores his side’s first goal. Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO – Several small technology companies are looking to the World Cup to give their businesses a major boost. While official sponsors like Sony 6758.TO -0.83% have their names plastered around event sites, these small firms are quietly providing services and devices needed for soccer’s largest event. One of the biggest winners so far is GoalControl GmbH, a small German company that won the contract to provide goal-line technology during the World Cup. GoalControl, a 40-person outfit from western Germany and a subsidiary of a plastics and rubber inspection company, uses a number of cameras to track the ball within a centimeter to tell whether it crosses the goal line. The aim is to eliminate errors by referees that ha...