Innovative Technology Introduced at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
The 2016 Olympic games in Rio have been a talking point for everyone over the last week, and one thing that is certain to get people talking is the introduction of some innovative technology that has made its debut at the games this week.
NFC for payments
Visa and the Brazilian bank Bradesco are trialling wearable jewelry in the form of wristbands that are equipped with Near Field Communications technology to allow payments to be made at the Olympic games by simply swiping the wristband over the pin machine which automatically accesses your account and allows money to be taken from it. At the Olympics there are over 4000 payment terminals that are compatible with the wristbands that are being trailed by 3000 people including athletes, coaches, photographers and journalists. Additionally, the total of 45 VISA sponsored Olympic athletes are wearing an NFC ring which is equipped with a Gemalto microchip and will also be used at specific payment terminals to pay for goods throughout the games in Rio.
Security balloons
With so many people attending the Olympics this year, safety must come first above everything and Rio really have taken that to the next level by installing 4 balloons with high resolution cameras in them. The devices will send images produced by the 13 cameras installed internally and in real time to the Centre for Integrated Regional Command and Control which is being controlled by the army. This is the first time such large scale devices have been used for monitoring however, 2022 world cup hosts Qatar have already shown great interest in such a creative, new and upcoming safety device.
Photofinish technology
Developed by Omega, this photofinish technology is able to capture images of each individual athlete, taking part in track events, as they cross the finish line. The camera scan ‘o’ vision MYRIA captures higher quality images at the speed of around 10,000 digital photos in a vertical line per second. This therefore means that the track events can run much more efficiently as there is a smaller wait and smaller margin for error as far as positions go which is good news all around for both spectators and athletes.
Amazing spectator experience
During Rio 2016, the addition of colour images to the score boards have been introduced courtesy of Omega which aims to improve the experience for the public in the arenas and gymnasiums. Additionally, as golf has been reintroduced into the games, there are also score boards in 4 areas with a radar measuring system which means that results are more precise and therefore more accurate. Also, new technology will improve the spectator experience in archery as sensors have been added to the paper targets allowing spectators to be able to know exactly when the arrow hits the target and the score is displayed on the scream only one second later.
All that is left to say is a huge GOODLUCK to team GB from the team here at Q2Q. We are an IT support company.
