FINA 2019 World Aquatics Championships in South Korea Featured Movicom Speciality Cameras

At the FINA 2019 World Aquatics Championships held in Gwangju, South Korea, provider of robotic and mechatronic specialty camera systems, Movicom, helped FINA advance its Aquatics Championship and Swimming World Cup coverage.

Movicom provided two separate Robycam 3D cable camera systems deployed at different venues and a Robyrail high speed rail camera system.

The two Robycam aerial cable camera systems complemented the specialty camera portfolio provided by Aerial Camera Systems (ACS) during the live broadcast of the FINA World Championships.

At the Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Centre, where close to 11,000 spectators watched swimming and diving, the original Robycam 3D cable camera system was installed to take advantage of its large operational area of 200mx200m and flexible installation options. The Aquatics centre’s domed roof presented a challenge for installation but the Robycam 3D system provided continuous coverage during the event and broadcast.

In the smaller Yeomju Gymnasium, which first opened in 1987, the FINA organising committee built two temporary pools that were used for the artistic swimming events during the championships. The Robycam 3D Compact system was used to cover all angles of these events. This lighter and smaller profile Compact system has an operational area of 80mx80m.

“Our wide portfolio of equipment and technical flexibility was a key factor in our success in Korea,” said Oganes Gevorkyan, head of operations for Movicom. “All aspects of the project were considered from ceiling height, stadium size, installation time and location limitations, but our team was able to come up with and implement plans to provide two full 3D cable camera systems with different rigging methods, specifically addressing each venue’s unique requirements.”

Both Robycam models offer gyrostabilised heads and are equipped with integrated Compass augmented reality (AR) Tracking, which allows the use of complex AR graphics as provided by many major broadcast graphics companies. The Motion Control System software that runs the Robycom models allows operators to record camera movements, then reproduce and even adjust recorded flying paths.

Replicating desired trajectories is of benefit for AR and graphics integration or while working in close proximity to physical objects. System safety is a priority,  so the operational software is designed to set safety zones which can easily exclude physical objects from the Robycam’s working area, this guarantees the system’s safety and eliminates human error in the heat of the broadcast moment.

At the Doha FINA Swimming World Cup 2019 in Qatar, in partnership with French underwater filming company Deep Vision, another solution by Movicom – the Robyrail track camera system – was used to cover competitive swimming events. Movicom also provided several point of view (POV) cameras at the start and finish positions to fill out the broadcast coverage.

The Robyrail system uses a monorail system thus keeping its working footprint minimal, a critical feature at poolside, yet achieving speeds of 13 metres per second to match peak athletic performance. Fibre optic cable is used for video and power to keep the system light and fast. The system software allows for maximum customisation of speed, safety areas and automated move operation.

The Robyrail system was deployed alongside the 50m pool at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha, covering every race and keeping track of all the action.

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