OMEGA, the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, has announced a suite of technological innovations for the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024. These advancements reflect OMEGA’s passion for precision timing and data analytics in sports, promising to make the Olympics 2024 one of the most technologically advanced sporting events.
As the leader in motion sensor and positioning systems, OMEGA’s latest innovations; Scan‘O’Vision ULTIMATE, Computer Vision Technology and Vionardo next-generation graphics technology,aim to revolutionize athlete performance measurement and results calculation to enhance global audiences’ viewing experience.
Coming to the Olympic Games for the first time, Scan‘O’Vision ULTIMATE encompasses the next generation of OMEGA’s essential photo finish technology. Enhanced with the highest resolution of any photo finish camera on the market, it can capture up to 40,000 digital images per second at the finish line of races. It will determine the official results in athletics as well as track cycling by producing a composite photo of every athlete crossing the line. Dedicated coloursensors will also enable cleaner images without pixel interference. It will enable judges to quickly decide on the results with maximum clarity on separate close finishes.
OMEGA further advances performance analytics by employing Computer Vision Technology to track athletes and other objects throughout the events at Paris 2024. The technology uses a combination of single and multi-camera systems, each feeding AI models specifically trained for each sport. In beach volleyball, high-definition cameras will track athletes and ball movements, measuring player distances, speeds, jump heights, and shot types. For diving, the technology will create 3D vision reproductions of dives, tracking airtime, speed, and the “safe gap” from the board. In tennis, real-time tracking of players, rackets, and balls allows measurement of serve return reaction times. Pole Vault will get an automatic measurement of the gap between the athlete and the bar. For gymnastics, the system tracks floor routine boundaries and jump metrics, using AI-based skeleton tracking for detailed movement analysis.
OMEGA’s real-time data capture delivers a complete narrative of each event, highlighting pivotal moments and revealing the path to victory or defeat. This comprehensive analysis no longer relies on athletes wearing physical sensors. The technology offers viewers an immersive experience with enhanced details while providing officials with advanced replay tools for decision-making and result generation.
For enhanced Olympic viewing, Vionardo comes as a next-gen 4K UHD graphics technology. This system delivers real-time, crystal-clear visuals in multiple languages, catering to global broadcasters. The technology also supports remote graphics production, reducing on-site infrastructure and improving sustainability. At Paris 2024, OMEGA will deploy these graphics at competition venues and the International Broadcast Center, with Olympic Broadcasting Services distributing them to worldwide media rights-holders.
The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will begin on July 26th, 2024. As Official Timekeeper, OMEGA has spent over 90 years developing and improving the most important technologies in sports measurement, while also recording the dreams of the world’s best athletes At Paris 2024, OMEGA will capture history across all 329 events in 32 sports, continuing its tradition of precision timing at the world’s premier athletic showcase.
