Ntt Creates ‘connected Stadium’ For 2021 Tour De France
NTT and Tour de France organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) will create the ‘world’s largest connected stadium’ for this year’s Grand Tour.
As ASO’s Official Technology Partner, NTT will generate a ‘digital twin’ of the event, collecting millions of data points and bringing them to life through ‘stunning, insightful visualisations and digital experiences for fans’.
With safety measures and restrictions still in place, NTT and ASO say they will deliver a host of digital experiences to engage fans.
The Tour will see the return of the official live-tracking Race Center which will follow riders around the course and the ‘data-driven insights and AI predictions’ platform LeTourData, which will be integrated into TV broadcast as well as on social media. This year will also see the launch of the 3D Tracker – an immersive, augmented reality app that provides 3D views of the stages.
Meanwhile, ASO will also launch Tour de France Fantasy by Tissot – a fantasy sports game integrating data insights and the machine learning ‘NTT predictor’ to provide insights on the riders to watch. The pair will also present the NTT Media Wall – a rich media display at the race villages featuring data insights and visualisations from LeTourData, and live race updates.
According to NTT, creating a digital twin of the event will also enable operations staff to gain real time visibility and streamline operations to ‘ensure the continuity and resilience of the race’. The data company will use a broad range of Internet of Things sensors integrated into its smart platforms and mapped against a geo-location model of each stage of the Tour to enable real-time visibility of key locations and assets. It says this will also provide COVID-19 contact tracing capabilities, as well as ‘in-the-moment updates’ of caravan and race arrival times.
“The digitisation of the Tour de France began in 2015 by capturing data from the cyclists to provide real-time updates,” said Peter Gray, Senior Vice President, Advanced Technology Group, Sport, NTT.
“Every year we have been able to take the technology to the next level, this year we are creating what is essentially a digital twin of the event. It’s a highly dynamic and changing environment that requires immediate access to information to ensure continuous and smooth operations, resulting in more informed and engaged fans.”
Yann Le Moenner, CEO, ASO, added: “Technology plays a vital part in helping us innovate at the speed fans expect from their mobile and cloud-based applications, all the while providing event insights, rich analytics and intelligent digital solutions.
“Since 2015, we’ve brought a whole host of digital enhancements to the event to create the best ‘connected fan’ experience. This year is no different, delivering a data-driven experience across any device, wherever you are in the world.
