Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence core of Alibaba Group, partnered with Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS) to test its latest AI-enhanced multi-camera replay service during the Olympic Qualification Series held in Shanghai from May 16 to 19. Alibaba Cloud's AI innovation is set to be deployed across various competition venues throughout Paris 2024 and is expected to deliver a dynamic and vivid viewing experience to audiences around the world.
“We are excited to partner with OBS to expand the use of our cutting-edge cloud-based AI technology to elevate sports broadcasts to new levels of immersion and engagement,” said Selina Yuan, president of international business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. “As a pioneer in providing intelligent sports solutions, we aim to work with OBS to redefine the way sports enthusiasts around the world experience and engage with the Olympic Games. We look forward to further contributing to the Paris 2024 experience with our advanced cloud technology.”
The cloud-based multi-camera replay system will introduce an innovative way to watch the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 from multiple angles. Powered by Alibaba Cloud's highly resilient cloud infrastructure, the system leverages machine learning and deep neural networks to recreate action scenes in detail, providing a captivating and engaging experience for viewers.
With specialized video processing both on the edge and in the cloud, footage captured from cameras strategically placed around the venue is transformed into cloud-based 3D models with high-quality textures, allowing the creation of virtual frames from new perspectives and making actions like rotations smoother and more realistic, resulting in a cohesive and immersive 3D reconstruction of the action.
Alibaba Cloud's computing architecture and proven cloud technology enable near real-time processing of highly accurate 3D reconstruction and video rendering.
Paris 2024 will deploy AI-powered replay systems at 12 competition venues, including beach volleyball, tennis, judo and rugby. Multi-angle video content will be delivered through OBS' production system, providing a wide range of dynamic and realistic replay footage for media rights holders around the world to enrich Olympic coverage through cloud broadcasting.
First deployed in the curling and speed skating events at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the multi-camera replay system was used to immerse fans in the action, allowing them to experience key competitive moments from a variety of optimal angles. With increasing AI capabilities and their introduction to more competitive scenes, this innovation will help take Olympic broadcasts to a new level.
