The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is almost upon us, and Intel has just announced that it will be working with organisers to integrate some of its newest tech into live broadcasts of the event. For track and field events, live broadcasts will feature augmented colour overlays that will show viewers the performance, names, and other details of the athletes.
In a new video on YouTube, Intel shows off some of the new tech, which shows a coloured trail behind runners in a track event, with the overlays showing different colours at different points in the race. This looks like it’s indicating different speeds throughout the race, which Intel says happens in almost real-time.
The technology behind it, called 3D Athlete Tracking, uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to help viewers better understand the different phases of track and field events. According to Yiannis Exarchos, executive director of Olympic Channel Services, the tech will result in more insights for viewers at the Olympic Games.
Intel’s technology will also be used in facial recognition systems, with around 300,000 people who will enter and exit the Olympic Village—including journalists, staff, and of course, athletes. In addition to that, Intel is looking to use virtual reality (VR) tools to recreate Olympic venues so that staff can be trained in an environment that is close to the real thing.
According to Rick Echevarria, GM of Intel’s Olympic Program:
“This is a really good opportunity for us to showcase the microprocessor technologies that we have been developing for many years but also a lot of our work in software, in algorithms and broadcast enhancing experience.”
