How drones have transformed the Milano Cortina Games

“So they will show more or less what the athlete is feeling or experiencing,” he told this imprint. “I believe two things we might see are that these drones might become a little bit more capable of flying for longer periods of time.”

The other transformation that will take place by 2032 will be a wider variety of “cinematic” camera angles, the Olympic broadcast director said.

“I think it will add to the storytelling.”

By 2032, technology will allow more summer Olympic sports to be followed. At a briefing this week, the OBS director suggested that surfing and marathons are events that will be in the drone zone for Los Angeles 2028. And it was stated that most sports can be done with drones for Brisbane. “There is an opportunity for sports played on long-play fields.”

Unfortunately, by then it will also be possible for drones to be controlled by artificial intelligence. This would not be the choice of the current OBS chief, who wants drones to be in human hands.

One effect of the advanced technology at Milano Cortina is that some, but not all, of the action is better viewed on screen alone, including locations.

That’s long been the case with downhill racing, but even figure skating is viewed more easily and accurately on a screen with real-time 360-degree replays (at least the Quad God’s mid-air twists).

The live experience is unique for short track speed skating, where the entire track is visible on the field and the frightening speed of the skaters is very powerful.

Milano Cortina has 25 drones operating across all outdoor competition venues and has over 1,800 microphones placed in every imaginable location.

The Olympics are beamed to hundreds of millions via more than 800 camera systems; 32 of these are called “cinematic” cameras, as if they were operated by director Paulo Sorrentino.

Drones have been a major topic of discussion at the Olympics, which has taken broadcast technology to ridiculous levels. OBS claims that the drones have been road tested for safety and, most importantly, the approval of the athletes has been obtained.

“We’ve done controlled crash tests, we’ve done all of that,” Exarchos said. “We have done everything humanly possible to maintain safety.”

“Human” is an apt description, as much of the technology at Milano Cortina is powered by artificial intelligence: namely 360-degree replays, tracking of pieces during curling, highlights packages and some audio production.

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But the most controversial technology, First Person View (FPV) drones, is human-held and operated only by trained pilots. AI-driven drones (machines that direct machines) are a bridge too far at this point.

“They have an innate creativity,” Exarchos said of human pilots. “I’m sure these could be emulated by AI in the future, but honestly I don’t care because I like the concept of people piloting them… I like the concept of real athletes piloting them, especially athletes who play a particular sport.”

The noise issue was brought to the agenda due to the whistling sound heard in broadcasts.

Exarchos said the most important thing for athletes consulted about technological advances is to avoid anything that would hinder competition.

“They don’t want to be distracted too much,” he said.

“I would say their concern is that there are many elements. You may have noticed the noise that drones make… In our case, it may have been a little bit more exaggerated because of the way we make noise at the Olympic Games.”

American snowboarder Bea Kim had a less enthusiastic critique of drones: “It depends on who’s flying them. Sometimes they get too close to people, because the people flying them don’t realize how close they are. If they fly it in the middle, [they’re] in our heads.”

Australian snowboarder Mela Stalker said she did not notice the drone flying in the air. “But I could definitely hear the background buzz at the top. Sometimes it’s noticeable, sometimes it’s not. You’re so reserved that you kind of block it out.”

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Swiss freestyle skier Giulia Tanno told Washington Post He said drones caught his attention in training and before landing, but not at all when he participated in the competition. “I don’t hear it when I fall.”

The fastest drones are for luge, the fastest sport where speeds exceed 130 km per hour.

In fast sports, drones need to be further away for safety and they need to be behind. “The slower the sport, the closer you can get,” Exarchos said.

“Luge, we’re pretty far behind.”

In figure skating, the slower but more agile spider camera hovers over the skaters. The audience at home doesn’t notice this. And so are the skaters.

Australian skater Holly Harris did not notice the camera. “Not when I’m skating, but I think I notice it when I’m in the stands.”

Athletes live in a world of their own in the seconds or minutes where a lifetime of practice and preparation is involved. But these devices are changing the way we watch the Olympics.

Winter Olympic Games are broadcast on TV 9Network, 9Now And Stan Sports.

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