UNIQUE VR TRACKING SYSTEM PROVIDES AUGMENTED REALITY FOR HIGH-PROFILE SPORTING EVENT
Staines, UK –
, a leading international manufacturer of advanced camera support products, recently facilitated the introduction of Augmented Reality (AR) to BBC Sport for its live outside broadcasts of the Wimbledon 2013 tennis championships. Shotoku sales director James Eddershaw announced from the Company’s European headquarters in Staines, UK, that Shotoku 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. In the UK alone, more than 17m viewers watched the men’s final broadcast.
It was Shotoku’s unique 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.” said 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.”
Shotoku’s recently introduced SX-300VR virtual tracking EFP head features precise tracking and uncompromised operation. Based on the popular SX300 EFP head, the ergonomic design with decades of extensive VR experience behind it provides a robust, reliable platform for a wide range of camera and lens configurations. The SX-300VR provides high-accuracy, real-time data output with absolutely no loss in manual performance. Like all Shotoku VR systems, the unit combines with the Serial Position Interface (SPI) for frame-synchronized high-resolution data tracking, compatible with all leading VR graphics systems. The head may be simply mounted on a tripod, or for real-time full 3D tracking, one of Shotoku’s VR pedestals such as the lightweight, 3-stage TP-90VR, used in this application. While both are typically employed for a range of studio configurations, the SX-300VR and TP-90VR proved to be robust, flexible and reliable in a challenging OB studio application.
About Shotoku Broadcast Systems
Shotoku Broadcast Systems is an international leader in the manufacture and marketing of a full range of camera support products with emphasis on manual and robotic pedestals and pan/tilt heads for the television broadcast industry. The Company also provides robotic camera systems capable of interfacing with third-party equipment. Established as an engineering design firm specializing in advanced mechanics and electronic control systems, Shotoku maintains headquarters in Japan with offices in Staines, UK and Torrance, CA. The Company’s robotic camera systems are designed, developed and manufactured in Staines, UK. For further information:
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Shotoku contact: James Eddershaw
+44 (0) 1784 224650 / mailto:
Press contact: Desert Moon Communications / Harriet Diener
+1-845-512-8283 / mailto:
