New Technologies raise the bar at the Olympics
New Technologies raise the bar at the Olympics
The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, commonly known as the 2024 Summer Olympics, kick off in Paris in July 2024. The Games form a prestigious international multi-sport event, which creates both challenges and opportunities for the latest advances in technology to prove their value.
This event will showcase and explain some of the ways that new technological developments are changing, explore how we create, transmit, broadcast and consume “content” from events like the Olympics … how cloud streaming is taking over from traditional outside broadcast networks in many markets … how artificial intelligence (AI) data is being used in areas like automated media description to improve viewer accessibility and understanding … how motion-tracking and wearable technologies use cameras with computer vision and AI, to give fans near-real-time data during races and events … how immersivity could be employed for viewing new genres like sports climbing.
In related areas like training, robots are improving their performance too. In a certain country’s training facility, a robotic curling coach uses a combination of image recognition, AI, machine leaning and automated control to simulate the curling throwing process … helping athletes practise potential game situations before they occur. Similarly, robot chefs and bartenders will take over the kitchens in an Olympic Village; and an AI-enabled chef-bot will be pleased to take your order and prepare your burger and drinks.
This exciting and revealing event is delivered in partnership with Digital Catapult and is hosted at their London offices. Speakers will include technologists, broadcasters and futurologists, who will provide delegates with an informative insight to this thrilling technology race. There will be opportunities also to see Digital Catapult’s experimental facilities, blending digital and physical worlds to create new ways for us to interact with data and network with fellow attendees at the event.
Speakers include:
- Tim Addy - Director, Business Technology Leader, A/V Ecosystems, Dolby Labs
- Martyn Gates - Ravensbourne University
- Rebecca Jackson - Marketing and Business Development, Caretta Research
- David Johnston - Lead Technologist, Digital Catapult
- Paolo Pescatore - Technology, Media & Telecoms Analyst, PP Foresight
- Allan Rankin - Co-Founder and Managing Director, Target3D
Delivered in partnership with
Content Production & Delivery SIG Champions
Nadia Aziz
Nadia is an Evangelist of emerging technologies with an expertise in AR & VR and IoT technologies. She has advised C-level executives in Telecom and Media organisations for digital transformation and M&A projects over more than a decade. While being a SIG Champion of Future Devices and Technologies at Cambridge Wireless, she has recently co-founded Unbounded Future, a Deeptech consulting firm based in London. Previously Nadia led Emerging Technologies at NTT Data UK where she supervised R&D and innovation in Augmented (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR), AI, and IoT. Nadia is a supporter of Women in STEM initiatives and is a mentor at the University College London (UCL) IXN programme. She is an industry advisor to IoTerra, a USA-based B2B marketplace for IoT products and was a co-producer for the GIANT Health Event.
- Twitter:
- @NadiaAziztweet
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/aziznadia/
Professor David Crawford
David Crawford is Visiting Professor at University of Essex Colchester, and Emeritus Professor at Ravensbourne University London. David has worked for over 50 years across the telecoms/broadcast industries and UK academic institutions. His research interests are in new imaging techniques, applications for mixed reality technologies, and networks for multidimensional media. David facilitates and lectures in the UK on Degree Apprenticeship courses, promoting work-based learning curricula and collaborative industry-academia training. David has worked in senior positions at BT, RE, Crown Castle and Harris Broadcast, and as a Director of a start-up company, TeamCast, in France. He has run his own technical consultancy company, and chairs and presents regularly at international events. David is a Member of the Royal Television Society, Fellow of SMPTE, Special-Interest-Group Champion for Cambridge Wireless on Content Production & Delivery, and Honorary Chairman of the Creative Science Foundation. He has previously served as a Council/Board Member of the Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET), the Conference Chair at IBC, and Executive Chair at the ‘mixed reality’ Community Interest Company, PlayLa.bZ.
Susan Hewitt
Susan Hewitt brings over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, spanning roles in both large and small companies. Most recently, she served as the Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of the European subsidiary of Ryff Inc., a Hollywood-based ad-tech company. Susan's expertise encompasses AI and computer vision development, software design, and semiconductor technologies, with a particular focus on GPUs and multimedia designs. Her career has afforded her extensive international experience, having worked in the Americas, Europe, India, and Asia. Susan has contributed to well-known tech giants such as Arm, AMD, ATI, and Texas Instruments.
Tony Lavender
Tony Lavender is a managing partner at Plum Consulting. He has more than 35 years experience in technology, communications regulation, policy and spectrum management. His clients include governments, equipment vendors, network operators and regulators. Tony was a specialist adviser to the UK Parliament 2016 Culture, Media and Sport Committee Inquiry into “Establishing world class connectivity throughout the UK”, he chairs the Steering Board of the UK Spectrum Policy Forum and he was a member of the UK Government’s Expert Panel, established as part of the UK Spectrum Strategy, on “Incorporating Social Value into Spectrum Allocation Decisions”. He has worked on a wide range of studies including on the 5G mmWave ecosystem, spectrum sharing, spectrum valuation and more broadly on electronic communications infrastructure strategy. Tony is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the UK Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Chris Nokes
Chris is a Senior Technical Advisor with Ofcom, investigating broadcasting and media technologies. He was previously the Head of Distribution Core Technologies Section at BBC Research & Development. With over thirty years' experience in Broadcasting R&D, Chris has been involved in the development of digital television since 1994, including as a key contributor to the DVB-T2 technical study group, and editor of the DVB-T2 specification and Chair of the RF Group of the UK Digital Television Group (DTG).
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-nokes
