Gymnastics Takes Part in NY Times R&D Olympic Preparation
Apr 09 | Women's Gymnastics
The Scarlet Knights welcomed the group to practices before the year ended
Prior to the year ending, Rutgers gymnastics welcomed The New York Times Research and Development (R&D) team to practices to test new technology for the Tokyo Olympic Games. The R&D team used the gymnasts' training to test how computer vision techniques can be used to analyze athletes’ split-second movements in photos and videos.
"We were honored to be asked to work with the New York Times as they tested their groundbreaking technology for the Tokyo Olympics. To be a part of something that has never been done before is exciting for our program," said Head Coach Umme Salim-Beasley. "The photo crew wanted to make sure we were informed of the process they were developing and explained how it would help them prepare for filming and photographing our sport during the Olympics. Their presence was an educational experience for them as well as us. Our team was truly fascinated. We are happy to say that we were a part of it."
In preparation for our Tokyo Olympics coverage, R&D has been working with @RUGymnastics to test how computer vision techniques can be used to analyze athletes’ split-second movements in photos and videos. pic.twitter.com/AP2jiECXqG
— NYTimes R&D (@NYTimesRD) April 8, 2020
We filmed the gymnasts using multiple cameras from different angles and will run that footage through computer vision algorithms to create a 3D representation of their routines. pic.twitter.com/GMcojjRv6i
— NYTimes R&D (@NYTimesRD) April 8, 2020
This process should allow us to observe how the athletes move in extreme detail. And if it works, we can use similar capture techniques for a variety of different sports.
— NYTimes R&D (@NYTimesRD) April 8, 2020
We were lucky enough to capture the women’s team at their last practice in early March before the season abruptly ended due to Covid-19. We would like to thank @RUGymnastics for being our test subjects and letting us witness their talent and hard work firsthand. pic.twitter.com/UXi6IWw0kx
— NYTimes R&D (@NYTimesRD) April 8, 2020
With the Olympics postponed until 2021, we now have more time to hone our models, but are reconsidering how we approach field captures in this new remote work environment. Stay tuned for more about how we work to bring this technology to life.
— NYTimes R&D (@NYTimesRD) April 8, 2020
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