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Last modified: 26 Jan 2021 4:24pm

Children throw a ball at a target on a wall in a gym filled with red light

A high-tech interactive sports wall – the first of its kind in New Zealand – will bring digital fun for people getting active at the Selwyn Sports Centre.

The digital play wall has been installed at the Selwyn Sports Centre by Kiwi interactive learning technology company Tacktile, ahead of the centre’s opening for the 2021 winter sports season.

It is the first digital play wall in New Zealand using Lü interactive sports technology, which projects immersive, interactive video games onto the sports centre wall.

The games can be played individually, for teams or against another opponent and range from mathematics and geography puzzles to hit the target contests.

Selwyn Sports Centre Manager Dave Tippett says the wall will add another dimension to the activities that can be played, offering a different attraction to traditional sports and a new element of fun for users of all ages.

“It’s a really cool piece of tech for Selwyn that puts us at the cutting edge. It brings together gaming technology and sport and fitness in a really fun way that we think people of all ages will enjoy, but especially younger people.”

Mr Tippett says the exact details are still under discussion, but there will likely be a small charge to use the sports wall, in order to cover the licence fee for the games. The Selwyn Sports Centre is also looking into options for people to hire to use the wall and space for birthday parties and events.

Tacktile director Yash Kapoor says the company is excited to launch the interactive playground system that will deliver a unique experience for visitors.

“This playground provides fun and facilitates learning while keeping the kids active rather than glued to the screen.”

The indoor court centre at Foster Park will feature eight sports courts which are set up for basketball, netball, futsal, volleyball, tennis and other sports, along with an upstairs indoor walking track, community spaces and administration areas.

Selwyn Netball will be hosting competitions at the centre and other sports and sports organisations have signalled their intention to use the facility.