Fujitsu is Making a Robot to Judge Tokyo's 2020 Olympics

3D Motion Detection: No Suits Needed

Japan is making sure the 2020 Olympics will be a technological festivity. They even may be spending a staggering $8.1 million for an artificial meteor shower.

In addition to the “fireworks,” Fujitsu, in partnership with the Japan Gymnastics Association, is developing the ultimate judge to end all biases in the Olympics: a robot programmed to precisely score gymnasts at the Olympics with absolute fairness by using 3D laser sensors capable of measuring 76,800 points of motion per frame up to 30 times per second.

It will also come with a “telescope” function to ensure the accuracy of lasers even at long distances.

The laser sensors allow the system to read gymnastic movements without requiring athletes to wear any special suits fitted with markers, as current 3D motion-capture systems do. This will allow gymnasts to do what they do without being hindered by any additional gear.

Controversies Over Impartiality

Of the sports included in the Olympics, gymnastics is one of the most controversial. People question the reliability of its points system, with some even questioning the mere existence of the sport in the Olympics altogether.

In his statistical analysis, Andrew Duong describes the main purpose of the Olympic Games and how subjective games like gymnastics get in the way of that goal.

“The Olympic Games are designed to promote peace and universal moral principles all over the world. In order to promote these ideals, it is necessary for the Games to display a high level of integrity in upholding these ideals.”

He adds: “Many sporting events in the Olympics involve varying degrees of subjectivity, which in some cases may determine the ultimate results of the competitions. Among other Olympic sports, gymnastics is heavily influenced by the subjective assessment of athletes by the judges, which naturally raises the question of whether nationalism influences the outcomes of these events.”

With the new technology, the Olympics will hopefully gain a higher level of credibility.