Alibaba and Intel join forces to create AI-powered 3D athlete tracking technology for Tokyo 2020
Alibaba and Intel have announced a partnership to develop an AI-powered 3D athlete tracking technology for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and beyond.
The partnership aims to provide athletes with new training data and analysis.
Announced at the Consumer Electronic Show 2019 on Tuesday (January 8), the partnership aims to provide athletes with new training data and analysis and created new viewing experiences for fans around the world.
The 3D Athlete Tracking Technology will see Alibaba will combine its cloud computing capabilities with Intel’s hardware and deep-learning algorithms to utilise regular video cameras to create a 3D ‘mesh’ that allows coaches and trainers to analyze biomechanical data of an athlete’s movements in real time.
Coaches and trainers will be able to use AI and a digital model of the action to help athletes modify and enhance their training to ultimately improve their performance. The technology will also allow broadcasters will be able to analyze, dissect and re-examine highlights during instant replays at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to give fans insights into how the athletes perform.
The partnership with Intel is part of Alibaba's 10-year commitment to the Olympic Games. It has previously built an official Tmall store for the International Olympics Committee (IOC), allowing fans to buy official Olympics products and also announced plans to help digitise the broadcasting around future games.
The Drum is on the ground at CES 2019. Read our coverage of the event here.