Thomas Bach,the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said on Sunday that the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games have made history in achieving an unprecedented level of digitization and set new technology standards for the future, while attracting more people to experience the culture and excitement of the Olympics. Indeed, there are many new and different technologies are being used in the Beijing Winter Olympics. Including training preparation, venue construction, technologies in clean energy and etc. Artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G technologies also have been widely adopted.
Super High-Speed 4K Camera System
A high-tech equipment is needed to capture the movements of each athlete in the competition of short track speed skating. Because when the race starts, they are so fast that normal cameras can't keep up with their movements. For the referee, it is impossible to identify all of athletes movements with their naked eye, so they also need to rely on the camera to identify. It maximizes the fairness of the race.
The super high-speed 4K camera system, or we called it 猎豹（4K "cheetah"）. have developed by the China Media Group over the past five years, is specially used for broadcasting the speed skating events.
During the speed skating competition, the speed of athletes can reach 15 to 18 meters per second, which is about 50 kilometers per hour, and some athletes can even reach 70 kilometers per hour, which requires a real-time synchronization of the speed of broadcast equipment.
The speed standard of this system can reach 25 meters per second, which is about 90 kilometers per hour. It can closely catch up athletes, and can also achieve acceleration, deceleration and overtaking actions according to the needs of live broadcast.
Artificial Snow-Making Technology
For winter Olympics, there are many events will be hold in the snow. So it require the high quality of the ski environment. It is not an easy task for China since we are not a traditional winter sports host country. We can say that without the artificial snow-making technology, Beijing could not hold the Winter Olympics Games.
In 2017, the Chinese Academy of Sciences set up a special research team to focus on upgrading the artificial snow-making technology. They entered the Genting Ski Park, where the temperature is only -20°C, and conduct field trips at some alpine ski centers. They worked nearly 11 hours a day.
Until 2021, this research have finally done perfectly. In order to overcome the problem of uneven snow production by snow cannons under different conditions of temperature, humidity, altitude and wind speed, scientists have developed different types of snow cannons, which can fully meet the various needs of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
There are 170 snow-making cannons have putted into use on the National Alpine Ski Centre's track based on the reported. They are very powerful, it can use high-pressure air to break the water flow into fine mist-like particles and spray them out. These water mists meet the cold air and quickly solidify into ice crystals before falling to the ground and becoming the snowflakes. Such artificial snow particles are much smaller than flake snow, and the created track is very smoothly and beautiful.
In addition, the China Winter Olympics ski resorts prioritize the use of collected and stored natural precipitation and surface runoff as water sources for artificial snow-making. The artificial snow-making system adopts the world's most advanced high-efficiency water-saving equipment and intelligent snow-making system, which can dynamically maintain the best snow-making efficiency and save water according to the external environment. Through real-time monitoring of meteorological and other conditions, the most suitable conditions are selected to start the snow cannon, which effectively guarantees water safety and regional ecological environment.
The New TV Online Transmission Technology
In the past 17 days, the Beijing Winter Olympics has created the highest viewing rate in the history of the Winter Olympics. Thanks for the new TV online transmission technology which supported by Chinese technology company Alibaba, there are more than 2.7 billion people around the world have a chance to share the occasion of the Beijing Winter Olympics throughout TV or internet. The use of this broadcast technology is a huge step in the history of the Olympic Games.
Because a lot of data was stored in the cloud database, so it lower the work for the field staff. Compared with the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the number of broadcasters at the Beijing Winter Olympics was reduced by 32%, and the area of the broadcast center was reduced by 20%, but the broadcast content was 400 hours longer. The Beijing Winter Olympic Games last about 1,000 hours, but the total production of broadcast content had reach 6,000 hours. The whole process had broadcast in 4K ultra-high-definition format, and some important events had broadcast in 8K format.
The broadcast reporters can make an interview and edit the content remotely throughout this technology. The reporters who cannot visit the Winter Olympics in person can also complete the Olympic broadcast. Moreover, the online transmission is faster and more efficient. This technology will be also used into the upcoming Beijing Paralympic Winter Games.
Robots at the Beijing Winter Olympics
Hundreds of robots are widely used during the Olympics Games. There are anti-epidemic robots, guidance robots, delivery robots, logistics robots, cooking robots, food delivery robots, AI robots and etc. They are provide services such as parade, food delivery, guidance, sterilization, and waste removal.
Cooking Robots
The cooking robots just like a head Chef in a restaurant, but the different is they can cook delicious Chinese food by automatically. They will never miss steps of cooking and never get tired. The most importantly, it ensures that every dish is fresh and good. The robot can also make the other traditional Chinese food, such as the Huntun and dumplings.
But what if the athletes wants the Western food? No worries, they can also make it for them. A Hamburger-making robot can make a delicious hamburger only within 20s. What’s more, only a robotic arm can make the french fries and chicken nuggets in the meantime. And of course, they can cook Italian screw noodles or Italian inclined tube noodles as well.
It is very convenient for athletes who want to order the food. They just need to scan the QR code and make a reservation. When the food have done, they will receive a reminder and go to pick it up at the counter by themselves, or they can just seat at the table and wait for the service by food delivery robots.
Another robots that you can seen in the food court, they can make an ice cream, a coffee, or even a cocktail.Another robots that you can seen in the food court, they can make an ice cream, a coffee, or even a cocktail. The most importantly, the cooking robot can provide the service all day.
Epidemic Prevention Robots
A video shoot by CBC Sports on Jan. 22 shows a robot greeted with some foreigners who have not wear a mask was Please wearing a mask. There are kinds of robots have been deployed to assist volunteers and athletes. Some machines are being used to enforce social distancing requirements related to COVID-19.
For example, the Disinfection & Cleaning robot, it is responsible for the disinfection and cleaning of some public areas. They can perform disinfection, floor washing, dust pushing, sterilization, ash reduction and etc. The robots has automatically charging and maintenance functions. And it can be work anywhere or anytime. Another robots which can be called it Body temperature-measuring robot, it is tiny, just look like a band Aid. It can binding with the mobile phone APP, and it will report the real body temperature data of people to the background database in time. The system collects the data in every 3 seconds. Once the temperature exceeds 37.3°C, the system will automatically alarm and notify the epidemic prevention management personnel by SMS.
High-Tech Cabins & Smart Beds
Due to the time difference in the production and broadcast of programs by different social media around the world, many journalists may need to insist on working in the main media center of the Beijing Winter Olympics in the early hours of Beijing time.
In order to provide a short rest for journalists who stay up late for work, 20 "sleep cabins" are placed in the corridor on the second basement floor of the main news center. It just one of a number of innovations to be unveiled at the Games. It is really thoughtful.
Anyone can access the cabins by scanning a QR code on their phone. The spacious cabins contain the bed equipped with sensors, just like the bed Olympians are sleeping on in the Athletes’ Village. Users able to adjust their position by remote control or mobile phone.
The beds even have a “zero-gravity mode”. That setting is supposed to reduce pressure on muscles and joints and support higher quality sleep. It is reported that 30-40 people have used the service daily. The cabins are fully cleaned and sterilized after each use.
There are many new technologies have been used in this Olympic Games. And that's why this Games is so wonderful and impressive. The Chinese people have the confidence and capability to host a successful Olympic Games. Let ‘s together for a shared future.
Further reading:
Beijing-Zhangjiekou Train
