“What's interesting is that they not only changed the level of light, but they also changed the specific quality and wavelengths of that light,” says Niall MacFarlane, professor of physiology and sports science at the University of Glasgow, who was involved. Were not. In research. He believes that experimenting with different types of low light – blue, red, green – has far more scope for producing improvements than using dim light.
However, McFarlane has some doubts about how easily the positive results of the research will be translated into performance improvements in a real-life football match. “I think it's much more suitable for something like baseball or cricket where you can more closely replicate the game scenario,” he says. Unlike the highly variable environment of a football game, in a batting game “you know where the ball is going to come from, you know roughly what speed it's going to come at, so [through the training] You can refine that ball tracking and contact consistency.”
It's no surprise that when I arrived earlier this afternoon, O'Connor was in the process of booking flights to Arizona. He is currently in contact with more than half of the teams in Major League Baseball.
But there is still more work to do. Further research is needed to see how long the benefits of light training last, as well as to confirm that there was no performance bias at work in the recent study – it was clear to participants which group. Oculo was receiving the intervention and which was not, which may have subconsciously affected the participants' performance in the trial. Future trials could also include some lighting adjustments for the control group, so that participants cannot indicate which group they are in.
In addition to specific games, Okulo is in the early stages of collaborating with several universities to delve deeper into the potential medical benefits of the technology, leading O'Connor to envision a future in which hospitals and clinics can help patients recover. There will be widely lit rooms to help. From severe brain injury or paralysis. He hopes to one day take Oculo into the home use and commercial gym sectors, following in the footsteps of companies like Peloton.
But for now, it's my turn. Waiting for salvation. The room returns to normal lighting levels. I stand at my mark and wait to receive the ball. My systems are fine, my heart rate is slightly elevated, and my senses are on high alert. This is my time to flourish.
clunk-pause-Oh!
I control the ball. This is perfect. Clever and silent, under my spell, like a lost duckling gratefully returning to the embrace of its nest. This is from here. I felt extremely proud for a few seconds before O'Connor explained that we were working with the ball-speed setting recommended for 10-year-olds. Technology may be exemplary, but even science cannot perform miracles.