The Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 are set to be the most sustainable and technologically advanced games yet. With the International Olympic Committee’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and optimizing logistics, it’s clear that a new kind of solution is needed. That’s where Intel comes in.
In partnership with Intel, the Olympic organizing committee has deployed their AI platform digital twinning technology to create virtual replicas of the competition venues. This technology, powered by Intel® Xeon® processors, allows for the simulation of complex interactions and the exploration of ideas that would be too expensive or resource-intensive to test in reality. This has been crucial in the planning process for Paris 2024, as it has allowed for critical decisions to be made about camera placements, event setup, transit links, security, and crowd management.
Jean-Fauste Mukumbi, Solutions Development Manager at Intel Corporation, Olympics Program Office, explains how the virtual venues were created for Paris 2024: “We start with a blueprint in digital format provided by the Olympic organizing committee, and from those files—using powerful workstations with 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® processors and Intel® Arc™ A770 GPUs—we’re able to create 3D models and then load them into our software partner’s platform. Once those models are uploaded to that platform, which runs similarly to a 3D gaming engine, that content can be streamed to client devices all over the world.”
This technology has not only allowed for efficient planning, but it has also saved on travel costs as staff no longer need to be on-site for decision-making. It has also provided the freedom to experiment and adjust to changing event and venue needs.
Sarah Vickers, head of Intel’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Program, highlights the benefits of using digital twins for planning: “We’re really getting smarter about how you’re moving people around, how you’re thinking about concessions, how you’re thinking about signage, how you’re thinking about broadcast cameras and using those digital twins to make decisions and scenario plan right around those things, whereas traditionally that might have had to be done in person through 2D drawings.”
But the use of Intel’s AI platforms doesn’t stop at planning. During the Olympic Games, real-time data is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of the event and ensuring customer satisfaction. That’s why Intel has also installed a people-counting system at venue media centers and Olympic family lounges within all of the Olympic sites in the Paris area, Lille, and at Chateauroux.
Mukumbi explains how this system works: “The system uses stereoscopic sensors along with machine learning to count the number of people coming in and out of the different venues.” This data allows for optimization of resources such as food and beverage supplies, security, and transportation needs based on real-time venue occupancy. It also provides historical data that can be used to plan future Olympic Games, making it a valuable tool for the International Olympic Committee.
The new system is 95% accurate, making it a vast improvement from the previous manual counting process. Attendees at the media centers and family lounges can expect a higher level of service and satisfaction, as resources will be better allocated based on real-time data.
But the potential for Intel’s AI platforms goes beyond just planning and real-time data. In the future, live data integration could enable optimizations and efficiencies that go well beyond what’s possible in Paris this summer. Mukumbi explains, “The technology is ready to be deployed on that scale. The possibilities really come down only to the type of data you want to collect on site.”
Vickers adds, “Think about queue times. You can use data to adjust your resources on site so that people experience shorter queues at concessions, so they’re optimizing their enjoyment, you’ve got happier customers, they’re spending more money, and you’ve got a more efficient event. That’s a win-win.”
Intel’s AI platforms are not only revolutionizing the planning and execution of the Olympic Games, but they are also paving the way for future advancements in the broadcast industry. As Ravindra Velhal, Intel’s representative, puts it, “We are using the Olympics as a gateway to solve some of the most complex challenges in the technical world. Intel is one of the only companies on the planet that can do it end-to-end because we have data center to client to edge and everything in between to define the future of the
