The broadcaster has been using the innovation for analysis during the Winter Olympics
Discovery has revealed how it has created and used 3D avatars during its Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics analysis.
The 3D avatars are built to replicate athletes from specific winter disciplines and can float in Discovery’s augmented reality Cube studio allowing the experts to walk around them and analyse the minutiae of an athletes’ movements and performance.
Team GB Olympic snowboarding Big Air bronze medallist Billy Morgan is one of the experts working with the avatars. He uses them to explain the intricacies of the tricks and aerials being performed in the various snowboarding events in Beijing.
Morgan watches the competition then works closely with the production team to choose which athlete’s run and specific trick he wants to analyse, before the specialist Cube graphics designers create a replica avatar of the athlete performing this manoeuvre exactly as they did in competition.
When the avatar has been created Morgan goes into the studio with the presenter and records his analysis which is then broadcast to viewers.
With snowboarders’ tricks getting more and more intricate and the lexicon of mysterious names used to describe them like Cork 3 or Cab 720, the avatars help Morgan simplify and explain the moves for the audience. They also allow the viewers to see exactly what an athlete did in the air and what elements of the trick were particularly good or bad.
You can see a video explanation below.
Morgan said: “It’s a big process but it’s really fun. It’s really cool being involved and the opportunities we’ve got can really explain the sports and get things across a lot more.”
Alex Dinnin, director of graphics and innovation at Discovery, said: “What’s really great about the Cube is its LED walls, it’s not a green screen, so the presenter and guest feel like they are actually standing in a studio. Then when we bring the augmented reality (AR) model in, although it’s not actually visible in the studio, there are monitors behind the cameras the experts can see, and can interact with the model and point to key moments from any specific action.
“We really wanted to push the boundaries for the Beijing 2022, with a lot more analysis and go into real detail to demonstrate what the athletes are achieving.
“The technology has come on a long way since the Olympic Games PyeongChang 2018. We’ve taken industry-leading technology and adapted it in a bespoke way to enhance our coverage and really benefit the viewer. The advancements in the tech since have opened up a whole new world, and there’s definitely potential for even more in the future. There’s definitely lots more advancements going forward and it’s only going to get better.”
Jamie Steward, senior director production and broadcast at Discovery Eurosport UK, added:“We are very ambitious with how we deliver our coverage. Providing the best viewing experience possible is of the utmost importance to us.
“The Eurosport cube studio has become an integral part of our content plans in recent years and the team has raised the bar again to deliver
“Our experts have done an amazing job embracing the technology to tell the stories of the Olympics, bringing their knowledge and insight to the viewers to help bring the Games to life.”
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