Toyota’s e-Palette electric autonomous vehicle transports athletes between various Olympic venues and the Olympic Village. Up to twenty passengers board one vehicle. (Image Credit: Toyota)
I love the Olympics. Take a look at my cartoon all about my obsession.
This year has upped the fun. From skateboarding to the return of rugby, it’s been packed. Since it takes place in Tokyo, I was expecting to see some really amazing technology. They did not disappoint.
I will say, I was disappointed not to see the human-made meteor shower planned. They had technical difficulties and had to drop it from the opening ceremony. But what they left in was stunning.
But Japan did make their medals out of recycled electronics. Of course, robots everywhere. Case in point...
Toyota has deployed its e-Palette electric self-driving vehicles to transport athletes and officials via set routes leading to and from different Olympic venues and the Olympic Village. The Tokyo Olympics 2021 serves as the first real-world application for these vehicles. An operator is present inside each vehicle to help monitor the tech. Overall, this is being done to help set up the next-gen public transportation network, reduce accidents, and eliminate pollution from traffic.
One vehicle can transport up to twenty passengers or four in wheelchairs. These also run on lithium-ion batteries to provide it with a 150km range. In total, Toyota has deployed 3,700 vehicles and mobility transports to shuttle athletes during the Olympics. 90% of these are electric-powered.
Facial recognition technology developed by NEC helps to speed up the admittance process for athletes while boosting security measures. (Image Credit: Erik Zunder/Unsplash)
The Tokyo Olympics 2021 is also using facial recognition tech developed by NEC at various venues to screen athletes and staff members. The goal is to prevent spoofing and unauthorized access to venues while speeding up the admittance process. It relies on biometric certification, allowing individuals to enter without showing a ticket or passport.
This tech performs with 99.9% accuracy even when the individual is wearing a face mask. In effect, this helps to stop the spread of COVID-19 since the mask doesn’t need to be removed when entering facilities. With the individual’s permission, security personnel or officials record their face and movements via the cameras to pinpoint anyone infected with the virus.
Toyota’s T-TR1 robot allows viewers to engage with athletes. Operators select an overseas spectator, displaying their image on the screen. (Image Credit: Toyota)
The Tokyo Olympics 2021 also features two remote-controlled robot mascots, Miraitowa and Someity. These are equipped with cameras to provide them with facial recognition capabilities, allowing them to respond with handshakes, nods, and blinking eyes. However, due to Tokyo’s COVID-19 state of emergency, these robots cannot interact with spectators as originally planned. Instead, they are present in the Olympic venues.
Toyota’s T-TR1 is another robot being used at the Olympics. It has a tall vertical screen with a mounted camera to interact with athletes. Operators choose an overseas spectator and display an image of that person on the screen. Then, the robot moves around the stadiums, allowing each spectator to interact with an athlete. This approach is the closest to experiencing the Olympic Games.
In addition to that, Field Support Robots, developed by Toyota and the International Association of Athletics Federation, autonomously collect thrown javelins.Using these robots helps to provide a quicker and smoother transition for the games.
Viewers also have the opportunity to experience the Olympic Games using virtual reality. This requires a USA Network subscription along with an Oculus Quest or Oculus Quest 2 headset to get the full experience. (Image Credit: Oculus)
Spectators are even taking advantage of virtual reality to feel more engaged in the Olympic Games. With this experience, they feel as if they’re right in the venue or front of the athletes. Additionally, the 8K resolution broadcasting imaging technology provides the spectators with a sharper and smoother viewing experience.
Anyone interested in taking on the virtual reality experience can access it via the NBC Olympics VR by Xfinity app. You can access hundreds of hours of Olympic content, which ranges from basketball and track & field to boxing and gymnastics. The app offers live and replay coverage of certain events. However, you need an Oculus Quest or Oculus Quest 2 headset in addition to a USA Network subscription to access the content, which costs $69.99.
Toyota’s Cue3 robot sunk in three shots during the USA and France basketball game at halftime. (Image Credit: Mike Finger/Twitter)
Toyota also demonstrated Cue3’s capabilities during the halftime basketball game between the USA and France. The company rolled out the animatronic android to mid-court, where it sunk in a free throw, three-pointer, and half-court shot in succession, an impressive feat. Although the robot can’t run or dribble, it still has incredible precision when targeting the hoop. Cue3’s aiming abilities are brought on by sensors mounted to its torso, helping to determine the distance and angle of the basket. Once it locks onto the target, the robot uses motorized arms and knees to shoot the ball.
In 2019, a Toyota engineer said it would take approximately 20 years to develop robots with running, dribbling, and dunking capabilities. The Cue robot was originally demonstrated in 2018, winning a shooting competition against two Alvark Tokyo players. Then, an upgraded version was unveiled in December just before revealing Cue3 in 2019.
Japan still put on quite a show during the opening ceremony even though spectators weren’t present in the Olympic Stadium. It started with the parade of nations, featuring an orchestrated video game soundtrack, and transitioned with the Olympic pictograms performance. However, the best was saved for last.
Toward the ceremony’s end, a fleet of 1,824 drones ascended into the skies above the Olympic Stadium, where it took the shape of the 2020 Games symbol. Afterward, it transformed into the Earth while a rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine”, reworked by Hans Zimmer, played throughout the stadium.
Plenty of time left to catch some events!
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