Posted 18 March 2010
Disney and Irish scientists join forces on sports visualisation project
Disney Research and CLARITY: Centre for Sensor Web Technologies, a Science Foundation Ireland-funded Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), have officially launched a multi-year collaborative research project in broadcasting and sports visualisation.
The research will explore ways in which use of multiple cameras, even dozens, can enhance the high-end broadcast of major athletic events. It will also examine how such systems can provide opportunities for less well-known sports to develop larger fan bases, for youth sports to be viewed remotely, and for how enhanced visuals and statistics can be used by coaches.
The research could be applied widely in sports and broadcasting and could yield new opportunities for ESPN, the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company which is 80% owned by The Walt Disney Company.
CLARITY is a partnership between University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin City University and Tyndall National Institute (TNI) Cork.
Pictured at the official launch of the Sports Visualisation Project: Emmy Award-winning Sports Director, Artie Kempner and Nikki Symmons, Irish Hockey International who holds 130 caps for Ireland, in the control room
Pictured far right: Emmy Award-winning Sports Director, Artie Kempner and Nikki Symmons, Irish Hockey International who holds 130 caps for Ireland, in the control room
“We are very excited to be working with CLARITY in this research effort,” says Dr Joe Marks, Vice President of Disney Research. “Disney Research was created to determine how the next generation of technologies will transform the businesses of The Walt Disney Company. This project could lead to groundbreaking broadcast technologies and opportunities for ESPN and The Walt Disney Company.”
The initiative is aimed at enhancing the work of Sports Directors by providing additional camera coverage resulting in the ability to cover wide ranges of sports and athletic events in a cost effective manner. The project team consists of researchers from Disney Research Labs in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh and researchers in CLARITY: The Centre for Sensor Web Technologies.
The team will initially focus on the sport of field hockey for its analysis by outfitting the National Hockey Stadium at University College Dublin (UCD) with up to 21 cameras in order to capture a wide variety of information for evaluation by researchers on a weekly basis.
At the project launch on 18 March, 2010, the camera system was observed ‘in action’ as the project’s researchers and film crew captured the action of the Ladies A Exhibition Match between Ireland and Germany.
This initiative represents the fruition of extensive work,” states UCD Professor Gregory O’Hare, a Principal Investigator within CLARITY. “It is truly pioneering and establishes a state of the art facility based at the National Hockey Stadium at University College Dublin.”
Artie Kempner, the Emmy Award-winning Sports Director, will provide practical feedback to the research team and will allow the research to be continually pushed to provide professional broadcast quality results, and to create a compelling story for each event. Kempner travelled to Dublin last month to actively engage in training the project’s film crew. He also returned for the project launch, and will provide feedback and broadcasting insight for the research team on an ongoing basis.
Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan T.D., sees the initiative as more then just a stand-alone project. “The announcement of a new collaboration between Disney Research and CLARITY represents a very exciting development for innovation in Ireland.”
“The Walt Disney Company is the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerate, and its decision to form a strategic partnership with the Science Foundation Ireland-funded CLARITY Centre is an endorsement of the expertise and pioneering work being carried out in our laboratories and third-level institutions.”
This collaborative research project is supported by Disney Research, University College Dublin, Dublin City University and the IDA. This work is part of a larger collaborative research agreement between Disney Research and CLARITY, where the teams will conduct advanced application-oriented research in sensor networks, wireless motion sensing/tracking, motion capture, WiFi network modeling, and human-computer interaction.
Sports and sports broadcasting have always been my passion, and it is so exciting to be a part of this groundbreaking project. Microcasting will broaden the ability for fans to see their favorite teams, favorite players, and maybe even their own children performing on many fields of play, spanning the gamut from professional competitions to youth tournaments." - Artie Kempner, Director
“UCD Sport is very excited to be a part of the collaborative research project with Disney Research and CLARITY. Our renowned sports programs and facilities naturally lend themselves to this type of interaction and we look forward to the ability to bring attention to a wider variety of exciting athletics.” - Brian Mullins, Director of Sport for UCD
“The IHA are delighted to support the collaboration of UCD, CLARITY and Disney Research on a project that is at the forefront of sports micro casting. We are looking forward to seeing the results of the research and are in no doubt that this will be of significant benefit for the training, analysis and profile of our high performance teams.” - Angus Kirkland, Chief Executive, Irish Hockey Association
“We are delighted that Disney Research has joined CLARITY, enabling world class researchers within Disney Research and CLARITY to engage in a sustained mutually beneficial research programme.” - UCD Professor Gregory O’Hare, CLARITY Principal Investigator
“This project presents scientific challenges in a wide variety of engineering and computer science disciplines. We intend to push the technology to a point where we can create more sports broadcasting platforms, as well as the way in which individuals engage in the viewing experience.” - DCU Professor Noel O’Connor, CLARITY Principal Investigator
(Produced by UCD University Relations)
