Intel and Alibaba announced recently that the companies are teaming to develop athlete tracking technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that is aimed to be deployed at the Olympic Games 2020 and beyond.
The companies are teaming up to create a new technology that can generate 3D models of athletes to enhance both the training programs of those athletes and the viewing experience for fans watching games at home.
Intel will provide the hardware – namely, computer-vision technology – and deep-learning algorithms, while Alibaba Cloud will leverage its massive stores of computing power to build the artificial intelligence-powered 3D Athlete Tracking Technology – all in time for the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.
The application will extract 3D forms of athletes in training and competition, allowing coaches to use the data to analyze athlete performances and introduce new enhancements to their training as well as provide fans with more compelling storytelling and insights about how athletes perform and compare to one another.
Navin Shenoy, EVP and GM, Intel's Data Center Group
This technology has incredible potential as an athlete training tool and is expected to be a game changer for the way fans experience the Games, creating an entirely new way for broadcasters to analyze, dissect and reexamine highlights during instant replays.
Chris Tung, CMO, Alibaba Group
We are proud to partner with Intel on the first-ever AI-powered 3D athlete tracking technology where Alibaba contributes its best-in-class cloud computing capability and algorithmic design. With our technological advancements, Alibaba is transforming the sports media and broadcasting industries.
