Rio 2016 came to be known as the coming-of-age of Big Data Analytics after the technology, which was pioneered at London 2012, found new areas of application. To some extent, every facet of the Olympics depended on data capture. From sensors, to heart rate monitors, to GPS—several technologies found widespread use.
Another technology which found substantial application and holds tremendous potential for the future was the Internet of Things (IoT). From shoes to smart sunglasses to sensors in canoes—there were several marvels of the IoT at display. The US men’s cycling team used smart sunglasses that allowed cyclists and coaches to measure distance that riders traveled, together with speed, heart rate and a few other metrics. Solos ultra-lightweight smart eyewear provided cyclists with easy access to real-time performance data.
The US women’s volleyball team too utilized a wearable device called VERT for training, which helped them measure how often and how high they jumped. The continuous monitoring provided inputs to avert injuries during training. Coach Karch Kiraly said in an interview that the technology allowed the team to train smarter and safer. Another device called WHOOP, a wrist wearable device, continuously measured an athlete’s strain, performance, and recovery, thereby helping in designing balanced training plans along with injury prevention and enhanced team performance. Will Ahmed, Founder and CEO of WHOOP, said in an interview that for the first time athletes got actionable data and were able to measure strain and recovery to reduce injury and improve performance.
“Connecting devices and forging networks among the different channels of data collection will yield real-time insight into how to prepare for a big event such as the Olympics,” said Somesh Misra, VP, Deskera, a leading business software company which has recently launched its own Big Data tool.
The use of such devices was not restricted to team sports. American sprinter Allyson Felix used shoes designed to provide feedback on performance. Such gear was also not restricted to US athletes. South African track-and-field athlete Willem Coertzen trained using a smart shirt that measured important information, including speed, heart rate, together with other biometric indicators.
Besides wearable technology, the Games themselves utilized several connected devices such as those for making payments by sportspersons. Not surprisingly, around 20% of the $2.25 billion budget of Rio Olympics was allocated to implement information technology and telecommunication with as many as 250 companies, including Cisco, Atos, América Móvil, Samsung, EMC, Omega, Panasonic, and Symantec, providing the technology to build the infrastructure.
Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Games Brazilian Elly Resende said in an interview: “…we do have the concept of the internet of things if you consider all the sensors that we have deployed for measuring and capturing the data from athletes.” Telecom giant Cisco, a sponsor of Rio 2016 and Paralympics, provided internet services and connected more than 10,500 athletes from over 200 countries with the world along with more than 25,000 media.
Rio 2016 will be remembered as the first Olympics to have leveraged the IoT. As the use of sensors and machine-to-machine communication undergoes tremendous expansion, Tokyo 2020 will be the real test and expansion of this technology.
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