The Sports Viewing Prototype demonstrates use of intelligent tools providing video processing and mobile communication technology. The Scientific Results include the advancement of computer vision technology in a novel sports viewing application (including several publications); the Commercial Results comprise the software and the opportunities identified for using it.
A prototype application has been developed and trialed using tools developed by project partners. The application uses several cameras fixed around the stadium. Their input is automatically processed to find the positions of the players and ball. This can be displayed as an animation of the game. This information can be sent over several different channels, e.g. digital TV, digital radio, the internet, and cellular phone networks; to be displayed on TV, all types of computers, and advanced phones.
The implementation of the application was divided into tools, completed separately by multiple project partners. These tools are available via the in move toolkit website, and some of them are also used in other applications.
The prototype comprises the software (tools) for video processing and data communication; and the installation of appropriate components at a sports stadium, to run it. The potential applications (and end users) for this result are entertainment services for spectators, and coaching tools for sports club. Content Providers and Rights Holders are intermediate users of the application.
The Main Features and Benefits of the proposed application are:
- It can satisfy the user 'need' of the sports fan for information when other channels are unavailable.
- It has the potential to be first to market; technology to track sports players using cameras is state-of-the-art.
- Variations on the proposed service can be used in many contexts, e.g. mobile phone, laptop, digital TV and radio, etc. This is a useful feature for an operator, and also safeguards the result against a reliance on a single transmission medium.
The Result comprises the following:
- The Software (tools) to deliver a service by video processing the data
- A Prototype installation of the applciation at a trial venue.
- An Analysis of the market and the value added by the introduction of tools for the
evaluation of deployment by company or licence.
The Key Innovative Features include:
- It is a novel real-time sports information service, to be available on the internet and mobile phones.
- Successful automated real time tracking of players has not been previously published.
- There are tangible advances in computer vision and data transmission and display technology.
The Current Status of the result is that Offline results have been demonstrated and trialed, and a prototype for delivering an on-line ('real time') service is nearing completion. This will be completed and demonstrated to key industry players who have already expressed an interest in participating in the development of the application in a commercial context. 'Seed Funding' for this work has been pursued by a project partner.
It is expected that exploitation of the relevant INMOVE tools will benefit the community of sports teams, both large and small, and their spectators; and the project partners whose tools are gainfully employed. More generally, it will help increase the availability of applications requiring technology that is similar to or derived from tools produced by this project. This will benefit to the community at large through more widespread use of appropriate technology to generate goods and services.
More information on the INMOVE project can be found at:
http://inmove.erve.vtt.fi/