BOTH athletic and technological boundaries were pushed to new heights during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Breakthroughs in digitalisation were made at every moment fueled by leading cloud-based technologies through Alibaba Cloud in partnership with International Olympic Committee.
Capturing the buzz and excitement of the world’s largest sporting event for millions of viewers around the world came with its own challenges.
Advanced solutions that could keep up with the vast requirements of Rights Holding Broadcaster’s (RHB) content production and broadcasting workflows were needed. Health and safety were also a key concern.
To address this, Alibaba Cloud worked with the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) launched OBS Cloud, an innovative cloud-based broadcasting solution that distributes near real-time content to RHBs.
RHB personnel could easily access OBS Cloud for a wealth of footage from anywhere around the globe. OBS Cloud also put powerful creation, management and distribution tools in the hands of media personnel.
During the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, OBS Cloud was slated to deliver around 9,000 clips to 17 RHBs. The system was able to provide flexibility and scalability to RHBs, and in turn, reduce setup times and staff on location.
Further aiding RHBs, Intel and Alibaba Cloud partnered to launch 3D Athlete Tracking (3DAT) that uses AI technology to create a digital mesh of athlete movements during sporting events.
Health and safety were also tracked during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Alibaba Cloud implemented an intelligent ear-worn device that helps staff keep track of body temperature and heart rate. The device also measures an environmental index and in turn, identifies the level of heatstroke risk in real-time for working staff.
The data points were collected through Wet Bulb Globe Temperature meters set up throughout Olympic Competition areas.
The Alibaba Cloud Pin was also used by media professionals working at the International Broadcasting Centre and Main Press Centre to engage with each other. The device enhances the fun Olympic tradition of trading pins by connecting users to Alibaba’s advanced IoT services.
With Alibaba Cloud Pin, users could make friends just by tapping the back of the pins against each other. The digital wearable also allows users to celebrate achievements and exchange social media contact information in a safe and interactive manner. This added a new digital dimension to the tradition of pin trading at the Olympics games.
These incredible advancements in technology from Alibaba Cloud provided viewers around the world with an unparalleled viewing experience, helping to bring the excitement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, closer to home. – Aug 27, 2021
