Innovation on Display at the 2018 Winter Games
Technology gives us access to up-to-the-minute updates and down-to-the-nanosecond measurements of athletic achievement. And the latest tech innovations are on display at the 2018 Winter Games. The best athletes and the boldest innovations are now united in PyeongChang to bring a dynamic, captivating experience to millions of Winter Games viewers and attendees.
In many respects, the Winter Games are especially well-suited to partner with the tech industry. As Yiannis Exarchos, head of the Olympics Broadcasting Services pointed out at the CES? 2018 Sports Technology Innovation conference track, “Because sports performance intrinsically can be measured – whether it’s a score or your performance – that means that it’s a treasure trove of data.” Wearables, which can track and measure everything from sleep to heart rate to blood pressure, give athletes crucial data to maximize their performance. And virtual reality (VR) helps athletes train for the races. For example, CTA member STRIVR Labs has developed a VR program that allows athletes to virtually try out the slopes at PyeongChang before ever actually setting foot on the mountain.
And it’s not just athletes benefiting from these latest innovations. Intel has partnered with NBC to stream events onto VR headsets, so viewers around the world can be virtually transported to the games. Samsung incorporated VR technology into its Winter Games showcase, allowing visitors to try their hand at VR technology that simulates snowboarding, skeleton and cross-country skiing. Visa, harnessing the latest in smart city technology, has created pins, gloves and stickers that double as a touch-pay application to allow event attendees to purchase concessions and gifts without a card.
As I watch the games, marveling both at the athletic skill and strategic innovation on display, I’m thrilled to see how technologies on display at CES are benefitting the global audiences on such a grand scale. In fact, six worldwide sponsors – Visa, Alibaba, Intel, Panasonic, Toyota and Samsung – are also CTA members who made their mark at CES this year, showcasing their latest innovations in Las Vegas before heading over to South Korea.
Both CES and the Winter Games inspire tech companies from around the world to bring their A-game, and both events are places where international competition and cooperation thrive side-by-side. I look forward to seeing how tech will further support the mission of the Winter Games in the coming years, creating a stage for top talent to shine and international partnerships to flourish.