We have the technology: robotic umpiring is cricket's future

As World Series Cricket and the Big Bash League have shown, cricket needs a steady stream of revolutions to survive and thrive. The next one should be grasped with two metallic hands: become the world’s first sport to have a fully robotic umpire.

On day two of the Boxing Day Test dismissals that did not involve a third umpire referral were in the minority. The rest involved the decision review system (DRS) and the third umpire on high in the grandstand, using all the technology that could easily be loaded into a robotic field umpire: snicko, hotspot, ball tracking and, the oldest of them all, video replay for stumpings and run outs.

When it comes to cricket now, the elephant – or dinosaur – on the field is the flesh and blood umpire. No dismissal’s adjudication requires human input. Even a rare appeal for obstructing the field that was made in a recent Big Bash game was turned down via DRS.

With appropriately positioned microphones, sensors and cameras a robot umpire could make all the on-field adjudications that the hatted humans make, from wides and front foot no balls to leg byes and sixes. And, importantly, the robot umpire will actually get the decision correct on more occasions than the field umpires, who are now simply go-betweens for the players and the DRS system.

The only thing left to do now is design the robot and load the tech. Design-wise I favour the traditional faux human shape with an enormous waist and a bobble head. This robot umpire should definitely scoot from one end of the wicket to the other on a segway and have double-barrelled cameras for eyes. And of course he’ll need to be fitted with specially constructed hooks to hold bowlers caps and sunglasses.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

The obvious place to trial RoboUmp is in the Big Bash. Already cricket’s home of innovation, not to mention kid-friendliness, RoboUmp is the logical next step in infotainment.

Imagine the kids’ excitement when, after giving a batsman out, RoboUmp takes off for a quick pirouette or two. Or maybe a moonwalk. And what about the thrill of it letting loose with a miked-up, “Not out!” that booms around the stadium after the previous ball’s laser light show zapping from its head denoted a batter’s six?

Big Bash cricket, already a major national success, will become an international icon as the world’s first fully robotically refereed sport. The technology will promote the sport better in a market like the US than having, with respect, the likes of Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting playing their recent exhibition match.

Other world sports, such as baseball, will be lining up for the RoboUmp or RoboRef, depending on the market, and while this new Australian better-than-wi-fi tech might put cricket umpires out of a job, the potential dollars in tech development and marketing will be enough to make a Dalek squeal with excitement.

And if you think RoboUmp won’t be able to deal with on-field sledging and other potential quarrels, you haven’t been taking careful note of his name. Like his film counterpart RoboCop, RoboUmp will bulge with metal muscles and be ready to protect and serve the sport of cricket.

With RoboUmp, former Australian captain Michael Clarke could never have told Jimmy Anderson to get ready for a broken arm: “Dead, alive; Clarkey, you’re coming with me!”