Inside look at NCKU’s innovative broadcasting of Taiwan's intercollegiate games
深入了解成功大學對台灣全國大學間運動會的轉播創新
Exclusive interview with Wu Cheng-wen, chief executive officer of the 2021 National Intercollegiate Athletic Games
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), host of this year’s National Intercollegiate Athletic Games from May 14–18, has pledged to present a one-of-a-kind national sporting event with state-of-the-art technologies.
Now all eyes are on how this prestigious university can go about achieving the goal.
To get an inside look into the school’s endeavor, Taiwan News sat down with Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文), chief executive officer of the event’s executive committee, in his university office on Tuesday (May 4) to talk about the revolutionary sports broadcasting technologies the school is applying to national sporting events behind the scenes.
Wu, who was one of the pitchers of the “Tainan Giant” team when it won the Little League Baseball World Series Championship in 1971, is NCKU vice president and a professor at the school’s Department of Electrical Engineering.
Taiwan News: What technologies will be deployed to broadcast this year’s national intercollegiate games and what results are expected to set the event apart from its predecessors?
All technologies involved already exist independently, but the cream of the crop is the integration of the technologies and their successful application to sports broadcasting. The primary technology we deploy is the 5G network, which can transmit much more data at a much faster rate than the 4G, therefore minimizing the transmission delay and enabling the audience to see the competition from their 5G devices with almost no delay.
This is the first time in Taiwan that a sporting event will be live-streamed to audience’s smartphones, tablets, or computers with amazing features only available via 5G transmission. The augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) interfaces will be added to present information or analyses relevant to the competition.
As opposed to traditional telecast, live-streaming allows audiences to watch anytime, anywhere, and interact with each other. As it appeals to younger generations and is becoming popular among the public, the NIAG executive committee is happy to follow the trend and take it to the next level.
The school is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to hold the event. Teams led by faculty from NCKU’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering have been leading the university’s efforts to utilize the latest technologies to present the competitions of badminton, table tennis, and swimming.
With help from other tech companies, including Chunghwa Telecom and the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the school has retrofitted two stadiums with 5G private networks and dozens of cameras at each stadium. The application of the 5G transmission and artificial intelligence to streaming will enable spectators at the venues with 5G devices to have a total field of view, ultra-high definition, and multiple angles on their screens, while 3D replay allows the audience to watch exciting moments they missed repeatedly and from different angles.
The school will make history on May 10 when the 5G live-streaming of table tennis and swimming competitions start.
Why is May 10, instead of May 14, when the sporting event officially opens?
Even though the national intercollegiate games officially open on May 14, when track and field events begin, other events start a week earlier. For a schedule of all the competitions, please visit the games's official website.
Why focus the 5G broadcasting on the three sports of badminton, table tennis, and swimming?
NCKU has set up two smart 5G stadiums, where 5G live-streaming of competitions can be carried out. NCKU chose the three more exciting events of badminton, table tennis, and swimming, which take place in the two stadiums, to demonstrate the unlimited possibilities of sports broadcasting.
AI algorithm and image processing technologies will be applied to competitions of badminton and table tennis to overcome the small-ball and fast-moving characteristics of the two sports and analyze players' techniques via additional data such as ball paths, landings, and velocities. Regarding swimming, the technology will be used to analyze swimmers’ postures.
Who will take up the sports broadcasting challenge?
NCKU has organized student sports broadcasting teams, with some students taking up the roles of sportscasters and others working as engineers during the live-streaming of competitions. However, professional sports commentators will also be present to assist student sportscasters in making accurate and professional commentaries and analyses.
Helped by the 5G and AI-augmented technologies to present relevant information and analyses, these smart glasses donning student sportscasters are expected to present the competition in a livelier and more creative way. This will also be the first time the country has ever tried using student sportscasters in a 5G setting.
What peripheral benefits do you expect from NCKU holding the national sporting event?
Apparently, the students participating in the live-streaming of the sporting events are the primary beneficiaries, as they learn the hands-on experiences of setting up the stadiums, using the equipment, navigating technologies, making commentaries, and eventually presenting the competition to users. Tainan City will also be a beneficiary, as the city’s tourism bureau is working with the university to have their promotional content streamed between games.
The city, which will host the 2023 National Games, will be able to use the experiences and venues for holding the future event. Chunghwa Telecom, even though they have invested a lot in the project, is another beneficiary as the company explores the tremendous marketing potential for their 5G networks stemming from the new 5G application.
As a matter of fact, Taiwan’s sports and tech sectors will also benefit from this trailblazing value-added application.
What has the school been doing in order to ensure that the upcoming national intercollegiate games can be conducted in a safe manner for participating athletes as well as spectators?
The executive committee includes a requirement for participating athletes to complete an online inquiry developed by NCKU Hospital called a TOCC (travel history, occupation, contact history, and cluster) and utilizes facial recognition and a human temperature detection system in order to give the greatest convenience to all participants while ensuring the safety of the event.
What platforms are available for people who do not attend the event to tune in to see the competition?
There are six platforms available for the public to access the live-streaming of the NIGA’s badminton, table tennis, and swimming competitions. They are as follows:
The 2021 NIAG official websites for links to all live streaming channels
The AI sports technology section of the 2021 NIAG official website
The NCKU official Facebook account
The 2021 NIAG Facebook account
The NCKU official YouTube channel
The MOESports channel
