Sportvision is providing unique graphic effects for NBC Olympics broadcasts of ski jumping, freestyle and downhill skiing, speed skating and snowboarding competitions throughout the games.
In using virtual imaging, which is an adaptation of the technology used to create Sportvision’s yellow first-and-10 line in football, Sportvision places virtual lines and distance markers on the jumping hill to represent specific data points throughout the production of ski jumping events.
Throughout the long track speed skating events, Sportvision is providing its object tracking technology, designed to track the skaters in real time. These graphic effects are presented via on-screen displays that highlight the positioning of each athlete, represented by their country’s flag.
The information includes such details as skater lanes, positions on the track, lane change locations, skater speeds, lap number, skater ahead/behind time and time in relation to leaders. Virtual imaging technology also is being incorporated via virtual flags placed on the speed skating track to represent each athlete’s home country. The flags appear to be painted on the track, under the ice, and are placed on the front stretch of the track.
Additionally, the SimulCam and StroMotion technologies, both powered by Dartfish, are being used throughout the telecast of freestyle skiing, snowboarding and alpine skiing. SimulCam works by superimposing images of one athlete over another, which creates a ghost athlete effect and reveals two skiers simultaneously as they travel down a run. This allows viewers to see the lines taken by the skiers through the gates, comparing their relative performances.
StroMotion is an evolution of SimulCam technology that relies on video processing technology to analyze rapid movements so that a moving object is perceived as a series of static images along the object’s trajectory. This provides viewers with the precise path taken by the athlete for a particular run or jump.
For more information, visit www.sportvision.com.
