Technology in Olympics 2021

Needless to say, as from the very beginning we acknowledged that Japan is a very dominance country in technology and innovation. And alike past- other country such as Beijing in 2008 shown a very good performance during opening ceremonies with a blastful pyrotechnics or as its installation artist called it an ‘explosion works,’ while in the year 2012, Mr. Bean and James Bond have been brought to the opening ceremonies and performed together with the great orchestra, created a timeless moment of comedy and music. This year, as Japan was named as the host city for the Olympics 2021, for Japan, it was a great chance to showcase the most innovative and technologically advanced sporting event ever staged.

First, let us all talk about LQ, an absolute beautiful self-driving car that will be one of the main cars used in transportation from the airport to the Olympics village and around the Olympics 2021 venues. Report says, almost more than 100 LQs have been planned to be used during the event. Not only for the ease of the athletes and other concerned people, it is actually a set up of foundation for the next generation public transportation technology. This LQ concept car, an evolution from the 2017 “car of the future”, was debuted in 2019. It was programmed with 2 main features. Number one, known as YUI, an onboard artificial intelligence that will monitor the driver. Plus, it also come with SAE LEVEL 4 autonomous driving, making it a self-driving car within a geofenced area with no driver input. Furthermore, they also have accessible people mover and E-Palette to move around the venues especially for people who use a wheelchair.

Next, the facial recognition system. The system is used to make the check in easier and faster also to ensure secure and smooth verification of more over 300,000 attendees of the event. In order to use this, they need to register an image of his face on the database and look at a screen when entering venues. The technology is so advanced that it can even operate at 99.9 percent accuracy even when the person is wearing a mask that cover the lower part of their face.

In addition, the Tokyo Olympics is one of the hottest on record, the men’s 100m final was run at a temperature of 40’C. Humidity also hovers around 70% making it even harder to cool down. In order to encounter the problem, misting systems have been installed which can cool the air by 20’C in seconds. The Ariake volleyball arena uses a new type of air con called swirling induction where the clean, cool air could enter at court level then gradually spirals upward before exiting near the roof. This swirling induction method makes 40% less energy-hungry than traditional air-con and no CFC refrigerants released

Other than that, the medals for the athletes also are very unique. They have been moulded entirely from a metal extracted from recycled cellular electronics that have been donated proactively by the country’s citizens over two years. Tokyo 2020 Medal Project included a total of 78, 985 tons of discarded devices which were classified, dismantled by highly trained contractors. The designs of the medals itself were to pay tribute to ancient traditions Japanese craftsmanship and Olympic spirits.

In conclusion, various other technology advancements like instant language translator, immersive live viewing, robot assistance or guidance, and many more are parts of the Tokyo Olympics 2021. And that’s why Tokyo Olympics 2021 is now not only a global sports event, but also act as a platform to unveil various advanced technologies that can revolutionize the world in the future.

Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition, and myth frame our response. – Arthur Schlesinger (Historian)