Machine Learning: Caltech Algorithm Watches Soccer, Learns the Game - Industry Tap

Engineers at the California Institute of Technology, along with colleagues from Disney Research and STATS (a major supplier of sports data), have developed a machine learning algorithm that watches soccer matches and learns the game in much the same way that fans of the sport do. The machine learning algorithm analyzes tracking data to learn how players coordinate with one another to position themselves on the field. But it does not simply follow the movements of players, it is able to determine the meaning of the movements--something not included in the data the machine sees. The researchers used graphical models to help the machines understand the roles of the players on the field--for example, players in different roles tend to occupy different spaces on the playing field. This allows the algorithm to learn and understand what the players are doing.