US MLB introduces robot judges to minor leagues

The US professional baseball MLB announced last fall that it will introduce robot referees to the minor leagues starting this year. Due to Corona 19, the prospects for the opening of the minor leagues are not yet known, but MLB governor Rob Manfred has revealed that starting this year, robot judges will be introduced in minor leagues.

The robotic referee, currently being reviewed by MLB, combines Doppler radar with optical tracking technology to track ball and player movements on the field. In the summer of 2019, a robot referee test was conducted in the Atlantic League, an independent league, using a 3D Doppler radar to determine the ball course. In addition, MLB also tried robotic referees in the Arizona Fall League held in the second half of last year to evaluate accuracy, judgment, speed, and consistent reliability, and tuned to use robotic referees in major and minor leagues.

Currently, what the robot referee can determine is whether the pitcher’s thrown ball has entered the strike zone. Also, depending on the course, the human eye can be judged as a ball or strike. Although it is a little different, there may be an idea that it is a sport only when all humans, including the referee, play, and even if the power of the machine is used, a device is needed to reduce nausea and introduce accurate judgment. MLB plans to try this in Single A in 2020 and Triple A in 2021. Related information can be found here .