As summer begins to wind down, fans all over gear up for another football season filled with gatherings to cheer on their team from the comforts of home. Because of the innovative technology in large stadium venues, though, watching from home feels more and more like being at the game. Over the past few weeks, our NTT series on stadium technology has focused on the high-resolution displays and advanced surround sound fans experience at the stadium, as well as the environmental controls and digital infrastructure that ensure fans' comfort, connectivity, and safety in these large-scale venues.
In the final part of our series on stadium technology, we examine more of the behind-the-scenes technologies that enable smooth operations during events. From broadcast logistics to instant replay systems, these technologies are crucial for the success of these events and allow fans to be part of the action no matter where they are.
While fans enjoy the spectacle, a range of technologies work behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly. These systems support broadcasting, officiating, and power management, providing a seamless experience for fans and participants alike.
Broadcasting live events from stadiums involves state-of-the-art technology to capture and transmit events to millions of viewers worldwide (Figure 1). A complex setup of cameras, sophisticated switching systems, powerful transmission equipment, and control rooms ensures that every moment is captured and delivered with exceptional clarity and detail. This infrastructure includes fiber optic cables, satellite uplinks, and dedicated transmission servers.
Figure 1: Live stadium events are televised using state-of-the-art camera technology, allowing viewers to see every moment from an array of angles, all with exceptional clarity and detail. (Source: kovop58/stock.adobe.com)
Instant replay systems are vital for both fans and officials. These systems use multiple high-speed cameras positioned around the venue to capture every angle of the action. The footage is then reviewed in real time to make critical decisions, ensuring the integrity of the game and enhancing the viewing experience.
Dedicated control rooms manage instant replay footage. Here, officials can review footage from multiple angles and make informed decisions. These rooms are equipped with advanced playback and analysis tools.
This week’s New Tech Tuesday features products from DIGI and AMD. These products play a pivotal role in the advanced technology used in modern stadiums.
The DIGI HX15 Gateway is a flexible and modular gateway designed for indoor LoRaWAN® IoT networks. With its support for different LoRaWAN channel plans and capacity for up to 1.5 million messages per day, it is an ideal solution for building deployments, including modern stadium environments. The gateway can be easily installed and configured using the DIGI X-ON™ cloud IoT platform, which provides auto-connect and auto-configure features. The DIGI HX15 Gateway also offers optional LTE cellular connectivity, allowing for integration with enterprise cloud services and support.
The AMD Alveo™ V80 is a high-performance data center accelerator card perfectly suited for 4K live broadcasts and high-performance computing (HPC) applications such as dense IoT sensor monitoring and security surveillance of large venues. In a live broadcast, the V80 card can handle high-resolution video streams in real time, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted streaming. In HPC applications, the V80 card can handle intensive computational tasks involved in processing and analyzing data from multiple sensors in real time. The Alveo V80 card offers significant computational power, parallel processing capabilities, and high-speed data transfer for efficient data processing and analysis.
The behind-the-scenes logistics of large-scale stadiums are intricate and essential for the seamless operation of events. This three-part NTT series has highlighted the many technologies that make large-scale stadium venues like Texas' AT&T Stadium possible. From immersive fan experiences with high-resolution displays and Wi-Fi® connectivity to ensuring operational efficiency and safety with backup power and advanced surveillance systems, technology plays a crucial role in how today’s modern stadiums provide comfort, atmosphere, and an unbelievable experience.
Rudy Ramos brings 35+ years of expertise in advanced electromechanical systems, robotics, pneumatics, vacuum systems, high voltage, semiconductor manufacturing, military hardware, and project management. Rudy has authored technical articles appearing in engineering websites and holds a BS in Technical Management and an MBA with a concentration in Project Management. Prior to Mouser, Rudy worked for National Semiconductor and Texas Instruments..