NTT’s IOWN and the Olympics

■NTT’s IOWN and the Olympics

NTT R&D FORUM2021. I visited the Musashino Communications Research Center. “IOWN” was the focus this time as well.

It is a technology-driven vision laid out by the President Sawada system.

This is the next big concept after INS from new media in the 80s, VIP from multimedia in the 90s, and NGN from broadband in the 2000s.

Network renovation through “all-optical” that surpasses IPs, and “digital twins” that create models in cyberspace that are the same as in real space.

Technologies such as AI, VR/AR, quantum computers, and biomedical technology will intertwine like nesting dolls.

The pillar standing next to IOWN is Tokyo 2020.

The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were a showcase for all the upcoming technologies in radio, television, and the Internet.

At least, they were supposed to be.

However, there were also some regrettable things, such as 4K and 8K public viewing being blocked.

In such circumstances, NTT did a great job.

https://2020.ntt/jp/tokyo/tokyo/

A sailing competition held offshore was composited in real time as an ultra-wide video with a horizontal resolution of 12K using 5G and the ultra-high-presence communication technology “Kirari!” and transmitted to spectators seats on Enoshima.

It was projected on a huge offshore widescreen with a total length of 55m.

It is a new style of spectating and rooting for your favorite.

A badminton competition held at Musashino Forest.

A special life-size court was arranged at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation and displayed life-size images of athletes playing at a distant venue.

This smoothly recreated in real time not only the sense of depth between the players in the background and the players in the foreground facing each other across the net, but even the shuttlecocks flying furiously at 400 km/h, using a holographic display.

This immersive sports viewing experience feels as if you are watching the competition right in front of your eyes.

A 50 m LED display installed in Sapporo.

Even the facial movements of fans in Tokyo tracking the athletes were conveyed is if they were actually there, sharing the space.

A marathon is run at 5 meters per second. If video of fans is delayed even by a few seconds, the runners will already be gone.

Real-time transmission was a challenge. They did it, didn’t they?

The results and wonders that make you say, “All this was done at the Olympics!” should be more well-known.