Future of the Olympics: Hologram simulcasts in stadiums?
LONDON — Every four years, the technology used to broadcast the Olympics revolutionizes the viewing experience. Whether it's the miniature cameras, small enough to fit in an archery target's bull's-eye, or real-time stats during events, we're seeing the Games in ways we've never seen them before.
Wait until the holograms show up in 2024.
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Atos, an international technology company and an Olympics sponsor, released a report this week that predicted some of the advancements we'll witness over the next three Olympiads. Some of them are nearly reality: Using 4G mobile networks to deliver alternate camera feeds and advanced stats to fans at the track stadium, for example.
But one prediction really blew our minds. From CIO Australia:
Atos Singapore spokesman, Gregoire Gillingham, told CIO Australia that from a technical perspective, holographic projection technology is developing rapidly.
"We predict that it will be possible to show holograms in a stadium within 10 to 15 years and the concept of a 'live' event being projected via holograms into other stadiums filled with spectators to be a realistic prediction," he said.
Holographic technology was back in the news in 2012 during US music festival, Coachella, when hip-hop musician, Tupac Shakur, who was murdered in 1996, appeared as a hologram to perform with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.
In other words, a revolution in pay-per-view simulcasting of the Olympic Games.
Imagine a stadium in Jamaica being equipped with hologram technology so fans back home could watch the next Usain Bolt race. Imagine an arena somewhere in the U.S. that has hologram gymnasts doing their thing.
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How feasible is this? Well, consider a hologram Elvis Presley concert could be in the works now. Of course, 4 1/2 minutes of Tupac cost $400,000, so there is a bit of a cost issue.
Not to mention how the TV rights-holders would feel about thousands of fans watching hologram events at stadiums instead of their coverage at home …
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