NTT enhances Tour de France experience with edge, IoT and ChatGPT tech
Global IT infrastructure and services provider NTT Ltd has announced that it is enhancing its technology offering for the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes with Zwift to bring the Internet of Things (IoT) and edge connectivity to the sporting event.
NTT says it will integrate IoT and edge capabilities to create a “connected stadium” for the 2023 race. This will involve setting up a digital twin of the event, providing layers of real-time information to digitally replicate all aspects of the dynamic event.
At the center of NTT’s data gathering is its bikes which use geolocation to transmit latitude, longitude and speed data over radio networks to race motorcycles or an aircraft. The data is then sent to the end of the race via microwave signal, where it is processed by a truck-based edge computing device running NTT’s real-time analytics platform.
“Having worked with NTT for the past nine years, we’ve seen data become an increasing asset to better explain the race to a mass audience, strongly engage our fans, improve their fan experience and support our race organization’s challenges,” adds Julien Goupil, the head of partnerships & media at ASO.
NTT has also integrated ChatGPT into its AI-powered Digital Human platform, which utilizes machine learning, speech recognition, natural language processing and conversational AI. This platform will give race fans detailed information for a more immersive experience, NTT says.
“Combining IoT and edge unlocks a new level of operational excellence and one that can’t be achieved in isolation,” says Shahid Ahmed, the group EVP of new ventures and innovation at NTT Ltd. “Capturing, processing and analyzing data alongside the unity of these technologies is essential for making every bike a ‘digital twin’ which is the ultimate demonstration of edge computing in action.
This partnership is set to elevate the Tour de France into a new era of digital innovation, giving spectators a high-tech view of the event as it happens in real-time.
This May, NTT and Cisco made headlines for forming a partnership to develop and deploy edge and IoT solutions for manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare organizations to help them maximize operational efficiency and reach sustainability goals.
Article Topics
ChatGPT | digital twin | edge server | IoT | NTT
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