Camera-equipped drones have joined the technological arsenal for broadcasters of the Olympic Games.
The first-time use of the drones was one of the broadcasting innovations unveiled for the Sochi Olympics.
In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Around the Rings, Olympic Broadcasting Services CEO Yiannis Exarchos talks about the changing landscape of Olympic broadcast coverage.
"We ended up using twice as many specialty cameras as we used in Vancouver [2010 Winter Games], and we extensively used slow-mo cameras here," he said in Sochi.
"They were very revelatory, because they show very fast sports to the average viewer.
"We also tested for the first time, some production technology that we might use in the future, such as the use of drones and helicopters."
The drones were used at the Extreme Park for the slopestyle events. The drone used in Sochi is a multirotor, remote-controlled platform, mounted with a robotic head, a camera and an RF link.
"Its provision of a new coverage angle at slopestyle events has been a great addition to our existing coverage plan, providing shots beyond the reach of a jib or crane and requiring much less infrastructure to have it in a specific spot."
OBS says the sports most likely to have drones used in broadcasting are ones with large fields of play. Drones will enable OBS to cover large areas of competition with only a single crew.
To man the drones, a team of three: one pilot, one cameraman and one RF technician are employed.
Written by Ed Hula III
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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