The ASB Glassfloor is the Future of Sports Flooring [Video]

If you’ve ever played indoor sports, chances are you’ve played on a court that was used for multiple sports; and that court probably had every single line and boundary for all of those different sports overlapping each other creating one, confusing mess. Well, that problem can now be put in the past thanks to the ASB Glassfloor.

Described as “the most advanced flooring system in the world” on its website, the ASB Glassfloor could be the future of sports flooring everywhere. The interactive sports floor, made by Germany’s ASB Systembau GMBH, uses a LED lighting system underneath a glass floor to illuminate only the proper lines, markings and boundaries for whatever sport is being played on that court.

It can be set for a variety of different sports, including basketball, volleyball, tennis, squash, handball and badminton. There is also an option to split the court in half, so that two different sports can be played on either half of the same court. In a matter of seconds, the lines and boundaries on the floor can be changed for whatever sport you want to play with the simple touch of a button.

The floor itself is made from panels of tempered security glass that sit on top of a unique aluminium substructure, making it extremely durable and capable of withstanding tremendous impact. Each panel is made from two specially treated glass plates that are held together by a PVB safety layer.

The surface of the glass goes through several special treatments to achieve the ideal elasticity, friction and reflection of light. These treatments ensure that the glass does not have a distracting reflection and it also prevents scratches from being visible. ASB says that the floor is actually more elastic than most wooden floors, giving it more “bounciness” than traditional sports floors. Proper friction for the glass is provided by the burnt-in ceramic dots that cover each panel. These dots give the surface the same kind of traction that you would expect to find on a normal sports floor. It also provides the floor with proper cushioning so players do not injure themselves when falling to the floor or diving for a ball.

The ASB Glassfloor has been used in more than 15 squash tournaments since its inception. It is a great court for tournaments due to the fact that the floor can be used for ball marking in sports like tennis and volleyball. The floor can aslo be used as one big message board to display scores, statistics or even tournament sponsors and advertisements.

ASB has also come up with ideas for revolutionizing training methods by creating running tracks and are even working on creating randomized “virtual barries” that would simulate opponents playing defense.

While the ASB Glassfloor was originally created for sports flooring, that is only one of its many potential uses.

The surface can be rendered into any color, making its application into places like hotel lobbies with the hotel’s logo in the middle of the floor seem like a cool and practical way to create a “wow” factor for its guests. Or, in case of an emergency, directions can be displayed on the floor that lead to the nearest exit of a building, guiding people to safety. 

The possibilities for this floor go way beyond sports and are seemingly endless.