What is Ultra Edge Technology and How It Works in Cricket
During cricket matches we see umpires giving signals to check on Ultra Edge whether its an edge or a caught behind. This moment is always a thrill to watch. When there is a slight contact between the ball and the bat, it is difficult to see with normal eyes whether an edge or not.
This is where the ultra edge technology works wonders. In this blog article we will explore how this Ultra Edge Technology works, why its so much important and the science behind how much this technology has helped in making the game fair.What is Ultra Edge Technology
Ultra Edge Technology is an advanced audio based technology which detects sound between the objects like contact between bat and ball. This technology was inspired through Snickometer but now it has become more accurate and better clarity.
When there is an appeal for the caught behind sometimes its seems difficulty to judge it due to presence of crowd or slight edges. That's why Ultra Edge is used under DRS (Decision Review System). If there is even a slight contact between the ball and the bat, this system shows through wave form whether an edge has been applied or not.
Components of Ultra Edge Technology
Sensitive Microphones High sensitive mics are placed near the stumps which catch the sound of the ball's contact.
Oscillograph This is a graph showing the sound of the ball's contact in the form of speaks.
High Speed Camera Syncing This camera shows frame by frame when and where the ball makes contact.
Real time Processing Software This software syncs the sound from the microphones and the camera feed to make real-time decisions.
How Does Ultra Edge Technology Work?
When the batsman plays a shot and the ball passes near his bat the microphones placed near the stumps pick up that sound.
This sound is converted into a waveform that appears on the TV screen.
If the waveform shows a spike at the exact moment when the ball is near the bat, it means an edge has been hit.
If the spike is not visible, or the spike occurs before or after the ball passes the bat, the umpire declares it not out.
Why is Ultra Edge Technology Important?
Fair Decision Making For the players and team a fair decision should be done and here Ultra Edge Technology comes into action.
Umpire's help Human error is possible and Ultra Edge minimizes that error.
High Pressure Situations Whether its Test Match or important ODI/T20 macthes this technology plays a major role.
Clarity for Cricket Fans Viewers also easily understand why the decision was taken, transparency is maintained.
Advantages of Ultra Edge
Accurate results, without human bias.
Real time feedback is available.
It Can differentiate between bat, pad, glove or any contact point.
Better clarity and speed than Old Snickometer.
Limitations of Ultra Edge
Every time its not 100% accurate especially when background noise becomes excessive like the noise of the crowd
Sometimes the bat hits the ground when the ball passes by him, and if the batsman is playing a shot, a spike is seen in the waveform. It is difficult to identify whether this spike is from the edge of the ball or from bat-ground contact.
Due to increased dependency on technology, the role of natural judgement of the on-field umpire gets reduced to some extent and delays may also occur.
Conclusion
In Sports like Cricket every decision is quite crucial. Ultra Edge Technology has played a major role in making the game fair. It has helped the umpires, given justice to the players, and made the game more exciting for the fans.
As technology advances, we are going to see even more precise tools that will make cricket even more transparent and fair
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