The two organisations are kickstarting their five-year extended partnership through a range of 3D, AR, VR and AI-powered experiences
Infosys and the French Tennis Federation (FFT) have revealed the latest innovations that will usher in a new era of technology-driven sports viewing and fan engagement. The two organisations are kickstarting their five-year extended partnership through a range of 3D, AR, VR and AI-powered experiences. Beyond the court, the partnership will also deliver a new STEM1 initiative that leverages tennis as a platform to educate and inspire young people about the impact of science and technology in sport.
The innovations are designed to engage, inspire, and immerse audiences by using technology in ways that will enhance the viewer’s journey across the tournament’s heritage, matches and experience. This includes:
- Celebrating history with a Champions Wall and 3D Racket Exhibition – Building on the success of the 2021 Roland Garros 3D Art Museum, fans will be treated to a new 3D immersive exhibition showcasing the evolution of rackets over the tournament’s history. This interactive 3D experience will also feature iconic men’s and women’s champions over the decades.
- Transformed match viewing with contextual match stats and Patterns of Play – Infosys Stats Flash will track records broken, and performance across the tournament with real-time data overlaid on live match footage. The Infosys Match Center will also feature a new interactive visualisation called Patterns of Play, which delivers in-depth views of player tendencies and winning tactics. Together these capabilities enable a new, data-driven broadcast experience.
- Pushing the boundaries of the viewing experience through AR and VR capabilities – By pointing the camera of a phone or tablet device at any flat surface, fans will be able to see an augmented reality court with the interactive representation of the shots, statistics, positioning and ball trajectories for every point won. Fans will also have the opportunity to play tennis virtually on the beloved Philippe-Chatrier court and engage with other fans in the metaverse through Social VR.
“This year we wanted to bring a purposeful approach to the tournament and support Roland Garros in delivering a sense of true immersion and community impact. Through digital experiences powered by AR, VR, 3D technologies and the metaverse we’re engaging fans, students, coaches and players in a more experiential way to bring the entire ecosystem closer together, and closer to the action. The launch of our STEM program to use digital as a means to create a positive platform for society highlights how this partnership seeks to go beyond the court and create a wider social impact,” said Sumit Virmani, Chief Marketing Officer, Infosys.
AI will continue to play a key role in engaging players, coaches, broadcasters, and journalists alike through the Infosys Tennis Platform, which delivers AI videos and insights on web and mobile app platforms. The partnership’s commitment to harnessing technology for the benefit of the tennis ecosystem will also be expanded by launching an annual STEM initiative for young people. The joint initiative leverages Infosys Springboard to encourage young people to take up fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by showcasing the range of ways these disciplines are used in tennis.
