After the COVID-19 pandemic, new lifestyle trends emerged such as work-from-home, video conference calls, and a surge in technology-integrated sports is on the rise. Through a collaboration between National Chung Cheng University (CCU) and Chiayi County Government, “Technology Sport Hall” was officially opened in the Chiayi County Athletic Field on March 1st, 2023. The Sport Hall equips with Technology Experience Area, Smart Gym and other fields. The goal is that through a combination of education and entertainment, the public can actually experience the smart sport equipment, catering to the exercise needs of all ages, collectively advancing into the era of sports technology.

 

On the opening ceremony, Yu-Hsun Yang, Secretary General of CCU, Chun-Ju Liao, Professor of CCU Department of Athletic Sport, Chang-Liang Weng, the Magistrate of Chiayi County, Wei-Ming Wu, Senior Inspector of the Sport Administration of the Ministry of Education, and Mei-Hua Li, Director General of Chiayi County Department of Education announced the officially opening of “Chiayi County Technology Sports Hall.“ Chang-Liang Weng stated that with the support of the Sport Administration of the Ministry of Education, 4 million TWD was approved as the total construction fund for Sport Hall. He also thanks Chun-Ju Liao, Professor of CCU Department of AS for his contributions of years of teaching and practical experience, which helped plan three highlights specifically for the Sports Hall, including the innovative and eye-catching “Technology Experience Area”, “Smart Gym” that is suitable for all age groups, and the university interdisciplinary cooperation that strengthens the goal of sustainable development.

 

Chun-Ju Liao who has been following sports technology for many years explained that, it was the first year of the government promoting the Sports Technology in 2022, hoping to strengthen the combination of sports and technology and add value to the sports industry. He gave an example: Both the Tokyo Olympics and the FIFA World Cup used Hawk-Eye to judge out of bounds, and AI for automated offside detection to assist in sports competitions. In addition, wearable devices also help people enhance their experience during their participation in sports, demonstrating the advantages of incorporating technology in sports.

 

The Sports Hall is divided into Technology Experience area, Smart Gym and other areas. In the Technology Experience area, facilities such as light response training system, smart dart board, golf motion sensing game and smart business treadmill have been introduced for the first time, residents can experience the fun of sports combined with technology in the process, and increase their willingness to visit the Sports Hall. The Smart Gym is equipped with smart isokinetic strength training machine, smart whole-body vertical vibration machine, etc. Through the data collection system of the equipment, it can provide real-time analysis of each user's muscle strength and exercise data, serving as a reference for evaluating health and physical fitness. Chun-Ju Liao pointed out that traditional fitness methods have a relatively high risk of injury for middle-aged and elderly people and children, the introduction of smart fitness equipment will enable people of all ages to train safely. 　 

 

Moreover, during the one-month trial operation period, students from the CCU Department of Athletic Sport also became guides to help the public experience the various facilities of the Sports Hall for free. In the future, CCU will also cooperate with the Chiayi County Government to promote talent cultivation, innovative and optimized service offerings, and sports data management. In addition to ensuring the sustainable operation of the Technology Sports Hall, it will also create employment opportunities to keep and retain sports professionals in Chiayi.