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The Use of Industry 4.0 at the Tokyo Olympics and
Paralympics
“ A
eecese 03/09/2021 08:35 AM
By Dr Mohd Ifwat Mohd Ghazali & Dr Muhammad Mus’ab Anas Mohd Anas
The modern Olympic Games have become one of the most anticipated events in the
world. Arguably, these games are the pinnacle in sports and it is the aspiration of all
athletes to compete in them, The Tokyo Olympics are the most expensive Olympic
Games to date, costing approximately US$20 billion and attracting millions of viewers
(in the arena and at home)
The Olympics are beginning to integrate technology in their events with the
introduction of Industry 4.0. Its plethora of technologies has been used by both the
Olympics’ organisers as well as the athletes. Among the technologies used are the
Internet of Things (IoT), additive manufacturing (3D printing), big data, robotics,
cybersecurity, virtual reality and augmented reality (AR), and cloud computing.
‘The Internet of Things (loT)
The integration of loT technology and 5G network all around stadiums were the first
developments made to ensure a seamless operational system for spectators and
athletes. loT devices were also used as maintenance devices, providing feedback from
the system in the event of a malfunction and reducing downtime
Some IoT devices feature embedded sensors, allowing for real-time monitoring of any
situation. For example, transportation around the venue is embedded with sensors that
will alert authorities of any anomalies in the system and allow them to take appropriate
measures and rectify the situation.
Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
The main medal podium at the Tokyo Olympic Games used recyclable materials made
from household polymers that set additive manufacturing (3D printing) in the limelight.
Asao Tokolo, a well-known Japanese designer, created a unique design, which was one
of the committee's numerous measures to ensure the event's long-term viability.
Aside from that, companies like Adidas and Anta employ 3D printing technology to
improve their running shoes. The Great Britain cycling team is also leveraging 2D
printing technology by creating the handlebar for quick prototyping of their bicycle to.
improve aerodynamics and comfortability. Markforged (a 3D printing startup) and
Shimano (the renowned manufacturer of cycling components) collaborated on this
project.
Big Data
Data seems to have become a commodity not only in the business world, but also in
sports. With micrometres and milliseconds deciding an athlete's success toward a gold
medal, every edge to determine the outcome is critical. Smart sensors or cameras are
often used to collect data and then analyse using machine learning algorithms. Big data
is crucial in establishing strategy, workout regimen, and improving an. athlete's
performance
The Japanese Judo competitor, Nachisa Takato, who won gold in the men's 60-kg Judo
tournament, is an example of big data's achievement. Data analysis is used by team
coaches to forecast the opponent's strategy as well as the referee's inclination to award
points for corner drops.
Robotics
Robots are not strange to Japanese society, so it was no surprise they were everywhere
at the Tokyo Olympics. It was only natural that the Olympic mascot this year was the
robot Miraitowa. These robots controlled the crowds at the Olympics, offering both
spectators and viewers great hospitality and a sense of comfort
In addition, autonomous robots were assisting organisers on the ground. The match ball
robot in rugby was one example, along with robots used to recover javelins and shot
puts launched by athletes.
Toyota developed the majority of these robots that allow the use of personal information
and improves the pace of these events.
Cybersecurity
With such high-profile events, the Olympics are bound to attract irresponsible
individuals or groups seeking publicity, who might issue cyber threats and sabotage
these events.
The Tokyo Olympics organising committee, with the cooperation of the Japanese
government, had adopted counter measures such as performing cyber security
simulation to test the system and employing ethical hackers to enter the systems and
identify any flaw. These simulations were developed to test the responsiveness and
resilience of the systems surrounding the event,
Cloud computing
The utilisation of technology in the Olympics is critical. One of the technologies used is
cloud computing. Alibaba, for example, utilises cloud computing to track athletes’
movements and exchange data amongst athletes with wearable gadgets
Furthermore, Alibaba and Intel cooperated on the development of an Al-based 3D
athlete monitoring system that analyses performance in terms of biomechanics and
generates a 3D model of the athlete to aid and improve their training
Compared to the 2016 Olympics at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the use of cloud computing was
able to lower its footprint by thirty cents.
Conelusion
‘The future of technology application is limitless. Industry 40 is the pioneer that will
revolutionise the sports industry. Thus, it will not be a surprise if these technologies
change the outlook of sports, especially in the Olympics.
-> BERNAMA
Dr Mohd Ifwat Mohd Ghazali is the Lead Researcher of SMART RG and a lecturer in
Health Industrial Technology at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Dr Muhammad Mus'ab Anas Mohd Anas is a lecturer in Applied Physics, Faculty of
Science and Technology, at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.