The Tour de France is obviously one of the most prestigious cycling races in the world, attracting millions of viewers every year. This year, the spectator experience will be dramatically enhanced with the latest technologies, including the Internet of Things, edge computing, and generative AI.
NTT, the IT services company, has been the partner of the Tour de France for nine years. This year, it is setting the bar high by creating “the largest connected stadium in the world” and integrating ChatGPT.
The “connected stadium” feature sets up a digital twin of the race that will use real-time data to digitally replicate all aspects of the race. Enough to make the Tour de France a fully digitized event.
A “containerized version” of a real-time analytics platform
The digital twin will also be used to help the event organiser, the Amaury Sports Organization, better understand what is happening at the event, which will help ensure that operations run smoothly.
NTT will also collect data from the bikes using geolocation and tiny sensors mounted under each bike’s saddle.
Using this technology, NTT will receive a constant stream of latitude, longitude, speed and other information from these sensors. This data will be transmitted by radio network to the racing vehicles. Then the data will be made available through a “containerized version” of a real-time analytics platform, according to the statement.
For both men and women
In addition, ChatGPT will be integrated with NTT’s AI-driven Digital Human solution to provide fans with detailed and relevant race information.
The integration, called Marianne, will use “machine learning, speech recognition, natural language processing and conversational AI” to provide comprehensive race information, according to the release.
All these advances will also be applied to the Tour de France Women, the women’s counterpart race which was inaugurated last year.
Source: “ZDNet.com”