Pixelscope CEO Kwon Ki-hwan interview
The camera takes care of broadcasting, judging, and broadcasting sports events.
Wireless relay nationwide with KT 5G, real-time storage in the cloud
Digital transformation of manpower-oriented sports broadcasts… Pixelscope representative Ki-hwan Kwon to advance to the US next year by expanding the event. ⓒ Pixelscope [Dailyan = Correspondent Choi Eun-soo] In an empty stadium, cameras automatically broadcast the game with players and the ball. Cameras and equipment connected to 5G mobile communication are transmitted in real time through YouTube and broadcasting channels. Like the referee, it judges the score and provides match highlights. The data accumulated during the match is automatically stored in the cloud.
The unmanned sports broadcasting market, which was thought to be a story of the distant future, has suddenly come to life. On the 15th, I met Kwon Ki-hwan, CEO of PixelScope, a startup that broadcasts sports games using high-speed cameras, artificial intelligence, and deep learning technology, and provides real-time score calculations and referee decisions.
After working as a high-speed camera engineer for 10 years, CEO Kwon Ki-hwan decided to start a business to utilize his camera and AI technology in the sports market, which he was usually interested in.
He explained that he founded Pixelscope in March 2018 by developing unmanned sports broadcasting technology, paying attention to the growing importance of data in the sports broadcasting industry at the time.
As the first relay event, CEO Kwon chose table tennis, where most games are played on the table tennis table and relatively low risk. After signing a main sponsorship contract with the Korea Table Tennis Federation in May 2021, the AI unmanned sports relay solution has been applied to the Korean professional table tennis league, and broadcasts of all matches are being produced so far.
In the AI unmanned sports relay solution, high-speed cameras follow the movement of the ball and players in real time in three-dimensional coordinates through deep learning technology and take pictures. The screen automatically changes according to the serving and scoring situation, providing close-up, ball trajectory and batting speed. It is automatically transmitted until broadcasting, and it is possible to judge scores as high as judges.
The Pixelscope 5G-based AI unmanned sports relay solution introduced in the professional table tennis league analyzes matches in real time and provides data. ⓒPixelscope KT Collaboration to solve startup problems… Accelerating digital transformation with the introduction of 5G and cloud However, there were many difficulties after starting a business. Real-time broadcasting was difficult in rural areas with poor network conditions or in outdoor stadiums where it was difficult to install an Internet network. It took a considerable amount of time to prepare for the broadcast, such as laying out an optical cable and connecting it to the camera.
5G is the solution to these problems. This year, in cooperation with KT, 5G became available nationwide, eliminating the restrictions on the location of unmanned sports broadcasting. Pixelscope has been providing all games wirelessly through KT 5G since the opening ceremony of professional table tennis on January 28th.
He said, “The biggest problem with unmanned sports broadcasting was the network, and 5G solved these problems. As KT 5G becomes available, delay time is reduced and bandwidth is high, so high-quality relay and stability are guaranteed even if wireless relay is performed anywhere in the country.”
The burden of large-capacity video work was also reduced with KT Cloud technology. CEO Kwon said, “In the past, it took a considerable amount of time to copy or upload the relayed video, but now it is stored in the KT cloud in real time, so work efficiency has improved considerably. You can download and edit videos from anywhere.”
Pixelscope expects to expand synergy with KTs various digital capabilities such as 5G and cloud as well as cloud computing in the future. For example, edge computing, which significantly reduces data processing time compared to the existing cloud, can be introduced, or most functions such as relay production can be replaced with cloud computing.
Currently, PixelScope is the only company that provides such an advanced unmanned sports broadcasting service not only in Korea but also abroad. The sports industry is also paying attention. To broadcast one sporting event, 20 to 30 broadcasters and multiple cameras were required, but the introduction of the Pixelscope system has the effect of replacing one or two people.
CEO Kwon said that because it is necessary to pay 20 to 30 million won to entrust broadcasting to a large broadcasting company, the burden is considerable for unpopular sports associations with insufficient budgets. said there is
After that, he does not feel tired even during long-term broadcasting, so stable broadcasting with the same quality is possible. It also provides various game data that cannot be provided by existing broadcasters, adding that the response is good not only to viewers, but also to players and coaches.
CEO Kwon predicted that the unmanned sports relay market will grow rapidly in the near future, as AI will quickly replace the manpower-oriented sports relay market.
He explained that many broadcasting stations are interested in introducing pixel scope technology and are trying to contact them. Pixelscope aims to secure intellectual property rights with its unmanned relay technology and generate profits through its licensing strategy.
This year, Pixelscope plans to expand the application of unmanned broadcasting to various sports such as tennis, badminton, and futsal based on an algorithm that has been advanced in broadcasting table tennis. Next, it is the ambition to lead the global unmanned sports broadcasting market by entering advanced sports countries such as the United States and Europe.
CEO Kwon is preparing to enter the US market next year by making a lot of references in the domestic sports market and expanding digital synergy with KT. He further said that he would achieve an unmanned sports broadcast that also relays the scene where the players shed tears and conveys the emotion of the match to the viewers.
The PixelScope 5G-based AI unmanned sports relay solution introduced in the professional table tennis league is tracking player movements in real time. ⓒPixelScope
