Fan app helps avoid timeout
GETTING stuck in a queue at the footy and missing the action could be a thing of the past for fans at the MCG.
The stadium will become the first venue in the southern hemisphere to implement “WaitTime” technology to tell fans how long the lines are at bars and restaurants.
It means with a swipe of their phone or glance at a dedicated TV screen, you will be able to find the shortest line, the quickest way to get there and how long you can expect to wait.
General admission ticket holders will be the first to test the queue-busting technology, which will use green, amber and red indicators to measure wait times this weekend.
MCC chief executive Stuart Fox said waiting for food and drinks was one of the biggest frustrations for fans.
He said research showed that MCG patrons expected to wait between five and seven minutes, depending on factors such as the crowd size.
“No one likes waiting in a queue and missing the action unfolding,” he said.
“We hope that by providing fans with transparency and information ... we can reduce some of that frustration.’’
He hoped adding the new system to the MCG app would help supporters get food and drinks and back to their seats quicker than ever.
The technology uses artificial intelligence, sensors and algorithms to track queues and wait times before fans even leave their seat.
The first stage of the trial will be restricted to ground and basement levels in public areas of the Great Southern and Olympic Stands.
WaitTime information will be updated every few seconds.
Initially, 16 bars and food outlets will be included, using 38 sensors located throughout the concourse to accurately measure queues and crowds.
More than 20 dedicated WaitTime display screens will be used in addition to fans’ ability to access the information through the app.
The technology captures people movement within a centimetre, 10 times per second.
Mr Fox said the MCC hoped data generated by WaitTime would one day inform everything from staffing levels to outlet locations.