'ICT Olympics' will let everyone shine

By You Young-min

The winter sports festival is about to begin. On Nov. 1, the Olympic torch relay commenced a 101-day long journey, announcing the beginning of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The upcoming Olympics claim to advocate the Olympics of culture, environment, peace, economy, and information and communications technologies (ICT). What will be the key features of the 2018 Winter Olympics to look forward to? While all goals are emphasized, a particular focus is on the goal of the “ICT Olympics.”

While this attention is partially because the Olympics can demonstrate the advanced technological capabilities of the host country, it is more so because the flames of the Fourth Industrial Revolution spread out across the world, driven by science, technology and ICT.

During the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, five advanced ICT-based services will be provided to enrich the ‘ICT Olympics’ experience. They are fifth-generation (5G) communication networks, internet of things (IoT), ultra high definition (UHD), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI).

First of all, the world’s first pilot network for 5G communication will be deployed in regions where the Olympic Games will be held including PyeongChang.

As the 5G network is more than 20 times faster than the current 4G network with seamless connection and increased connectability to multiple devices, it is the core infrastructure that enables advanced services such as autonomous vehicles and remotely-controlled factories.

Based on the 5G pilot network, visitors will be able to enjoy immersive video services to freely watch any moments of the game from any direction. People can also watch bobsleigh and ski jumping at the athlete’s or the judge’s point of view, as well as tracking and watching specific athletes’ games. For sports such as figure skating and speed skating, the viewers can pause the scenes at the desired moments to watch them at any angles in full 360 degrees.

Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, foreign visitors who are unfamiliar with Korea can access useful information and services throughout their entire trip from arrival to sightseeing, watching the Games and final departure.

First of all, augmented reality (AR) directions services will be provided to guide visitors from their current location to any indoor or outdoor venues within walking distance, such as transfer locations for public transportation, and venues.

Within the venues, cheering videos can be recorded through the media wall or kiosks, as well as making memorable clips by recording AR videos with winter sports or Korean tourist attractions as the background. Also, by wearing smart bands, users can receive alerts with information on the Olympic Games schedules, weather and popular restaurants nearby. In addition, the missing-children prevention function is available, which sends alerts upon recognition of any increased distance between the child and the guardian.

In the shopping experience zone, virtual try-on will allow people to check and compare clothing without actually trying them on, as well as obtaining recommendations for products that will suit them well.

IoT is expected to allow people to enjoy a higher quality competition by helping athletes to achieve superior performances. IoT can verify ice equipment performances, or support customized training for luge and curling athletes by providing individual training data of their speed and movement.

For the first time, the 4K UHD terrestrial broadcasting will be launched for major Olympic Games, enabling high-speed and high-quality video transmissions that are four times faster than the conventional HD.

Visitors can also enjoy VR experience services for winter sports. The service will allow them to virtually experience playing winter sports that are not easily accessible for the general public, such as ski jumping, bobsleigh, and snowboarding.

On the AI-based automated translation services, communication between different languages such as Korean, English, Chinese and other languages will be possible. For information on the Olympic Games or public transportation around the venues, AI customer representatives at the AI call center can be contacted to verbally inquire and obtain necessary information.

For the remaining days before the start of the Olympics, the Ministry of Science and ICT will continue to do its best to ensure the winter festival is enjoyed around the world. As a celebration for “G-100 Days,” the ICT Lounge at Incheon Airport was opened early this month, allowing Koreans and foreign visitors to experience the “PyeongChang ICT Olympics” in advance. The lounge to be used by Olympic athletes upon their arrival and departure is equipped with ICT services to be utilized during the Olympics. Except for the “Athletes Only” periods, the lounge is open to the general public, allowing them to get a sneak peek of the PyeongChang ICT Olympics through the ultra wide vision screen installed in the ICT Lounge, as well as experiencing various ICT services.

Also, at the end of this month, PyeongChang will organize the PyeongChang ICT Experience Hall, where visitors can experience the five ICT services.

Currently, the “Let Everyone Shine” flame passed on from Greece is being seen all over Korea, drawing everyone’s attention. We hope that people from all over the world will visit South Korea to enjoy the “PyeongChang ICT Olympics,” and fully experience the ICT Olympics that lets everyone shine.