Shotoku enables AR for Wimbledon coverage

Shotoku Broadcast Systems recently facilitated the introduction of Augmented Reality (AR) to BBC Sport for its live outside broadcasts of the Wimbledon 2013 tennis championships. Specifically, the company provided BBC Sport with two TP-90VR and SX300VR Tracking Pedestal & Head systems for its temporary OB studio during its live outdoor coverage of the Lawn Tennis Championships.

AR was introduced on the first day of the tournament and continued to be used for every studio broadcast throughout the two-week tournament.  The level of use and complexity of the graphics adapted as the tournament progressed, right up to the final day.

It was Shotoku’s VR tracking technology that made transferring systems more typically found in permanent studio installations, into the temporary OB studio possible. Using highly accurate internal encoders to monitor all moving axes and combine with simple in-studio referencing technology, allowed Shotoku to drastically reduce the time required for installation and calibration.

“We are delighted to have been able to work with BBC Sport to help them deliver AR for the first time at an Outside Broadcast, especially at such a prestigious event as the Wimbledon tennis championships,” says sales director James Eddershaw. “We are particularly pleased with the reaction of the camera operators who used the equipment for the first time in an OB environment. Any changes to their normal operation came simply from working with the in-shot graphics, not the equipment.”