Infrared blocking fabric developed to protect athletes from illicit photography
In recent years, female athletes at competition venues and other locations are increasingly the victim of hidden photography and filming taken for illicit purposes, the images and videos of which are then disseminated over the internet. Mizuno has developed an infrared blocking fabric to help combat this illicit photography.
Both athletes and athletic organizations struggle greatly with the problem of illicit photography. Efforts are already underway to prevent this photography, and organizations and competition organizers frequently ask attendees to refrain from photography and place limits on permissible photography at an event. However, it is difficult to fully control all photography at a competition venue and devices capable of capturing images are becoming ever more sophisticated, making the problem arduous to resolve. Recently, in addition to visible light cameras, infrared cameras are also being used, and athletes are the victim of photographs that reveal images of their underwear and body underneath their uniform.
Mizuno has thus far primarily focused on high-performance products that support athletes in their pursuit of greater dynamic performance. Mizuno sought to address the problem of illicit photography by choosing fabrics and materials for its uniforms that blocked visible light while offering dynamic performance, but the problem of infrared photography was not sufficiently addressed. Mizuno therefore launched a new research and development project with the explicit goal of protecting athletes from illicit photography, and its new infrared blocking fabric is one result of that project.
The newly developed infrared blocking fabric is the product of joint development and co-creation between Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., an expert in functional material, Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd., a leader in composite material technology, and Mizuno, an expert in sports-focused fabric development and product design.
The new fabric incorporates specialized material that excel in absorbing light in the infrared range into the textile composition. Innovation in the fabric design and processing provides it with the essential foundation of athletic performance expected of Mizuno sportswear products, and furthermore offers protection from illicit infrared photography.
The following tests were conducted to verify the performance of the new fabric.
Photography method using visible light or infrared camera
The result of this experiment showed Image 4 was nearly wholly opaque under both visible light and infrared.
Image opaqueness comparison of visible light and infrared images
Incorporating the newly developed infrared blocking fabric into sportswear can help reduce the number of athletes that fall victim to illicit infrared photography.
Mizuno’s mission is to bring joy to people and society through sports, and defines “enhancing the mind, body and technique” as the core values that guide its product and service development. Allowing athletes to fully focus on their competition by protecting them from illicit photography supports their heart and mind within Mizuno’s “mind, body and technique” values, and is a major advance from the athlete-first perspective.
Mizuno collaborates with a wide range of partners to leverage the knowledge that has built through sports product development in its pursuit of addressing social issues. Mizuno is committed to creating an environment that protects athletes and allows them to focus on their competition.
