From here to Tokyo, in one millisecond
Blog: Capgemini CTO Blog
I’m a huge sports fan. During primary school I dreamt of qualifying for the Olympics – a childhood dream that has by now been adjusted to attending as a spectator. During the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics, I shall therefore be found planted in front of a screen. But this time, I will have a special interest in something else – technology.
The country of cutting-edge technology, Japan, has promised that the upcoming Olympics will be not only the smartest; they will be “the future of the Olympic Games.” This will be a prime moment for the country, the capital – Tokyo, and global IT tech players to showcase smart technologies in wireless connectivity, video streaming, real-time data, and automated services.[1] This aligns with the government’s vision to create Society 5.0 – a blueprint for a super-smart society, one that is a more far-reaching concept than the Fourth Industrial Revolution ever was, for it envisions completely transforming the Japanese way of life by blurring the frontier between cyberspace and physical space. In short, it enables the coexistence of technology and humans to create a better society for everyone.
The beauty of technology can be seen when it can’t be seen. If the systems work seamlessly and result in smooth workflows, many people will enjoy a unique Olympic experience in the summer of 2020. By invisible, I mean for example the thousands of athletes, volunteers, media, and other staff who will be able to use facial recognition technology to identify themselves, preventing risks related to identification fraud and reducing long waiting times for ID checks. More visible is the virtual reality broadcast, which offers immersive experiences for spectators to get front-row access while being at home or watching from “virtual sports venues.”
Aspiring athletes will love this next feature –3D Athlete Tracking (3DAT)[2]. This new, Intel-developed technology will allow spectators to view the analysis of top performers’ movements, such as stride length or shoulder sway. 3DAT enables spectators and top coaches to review their athletes’ movements and improve on the tiniest of deviations from the optimal movement lines, improving athletes’ performances. Will we see a forecast of partly cloudy skies with a chance of raining world records?
In 1964, Tokyo hosted the first Olympics with globally televised, real-time broadcasting. “Real-time” is a relative term here, as it took a few hours to transfer and process the footage. This year, with 5G, footage of the Games will be transferred in one millisecond (the theoretical latency of 5G communication technologies), up to 100 times faster than current 4G communication technology.[3]
With all eyes on Tokyo, cybersecurity is a major concern. The organizing committee is therefore following a specially designed playbook, with a holistic view from early planning to deterring the riskiest adversaries with targeted cyber-defense campaigns.[4]
Enormous efforts are made for the biggest sports event in history. All so that we, spectators in stadiums and at home, can enjoy a safe, super-smart, sports event. One to remember and one that will lead as example for the future of many Olympic games to follow.
As the 2024 Olympics will be hosted in Paris, I am already starting to dream about Capgemini’s role in this event. What would you like to see from us? Drop your wildest ideas below!
[1] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/at-ces-2020-panasonic-demonstrates-the-future-of-mobility-immersive-entertainment-broadcasting-for-gaming-the-olympic-experience-at-tokyo2020-and-more-300981547.html
[2] https://fortune.com/2019/09/30/tokyo-2020-olympics-intel-technology/
[3] https://www.cnet.com/news/impossible-foods-pork-is-here-and-its-scary-freaky-similar-to-the-real-thing/
[4] https://www.cybersecasia.net/cyber-warfare/tokyo-2020-olympics-with-all-the-smarts
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