In time for the 2019 KBO season, baseball stadiums in South Korea are being fitted with cutting edge ICT and 5G technologies to take fans closer to the action than they've ever been before.
Lee Min-sun has more.
An unmanned robotic arm is throwing the first pitch... for a local baseball team’s first home game of the season.
At another stadium... augmented reality sends a dragon flying over the field.
Tech is more than a gimmick, though -- it's giving baseball fans new ways to watch.
"With advances in 5G technology, this baseball stadium has added fifty-four cameras to capture important moments of the game from multiple angles and provide in-depth analysis."
Ultra-high definition cameras provide simultaneous feeds through 5G networks,... which enable viewers to watch the game from different angles.
Using this mobile app, viewers at home and at the stadium... can replay key highlights from the game and zoom in for a closer look.
A person sitting in the first base line can enjoy the view from the third base seats, or directly in front of the pitcher's mound... and even take a peek at the dugouts.
Cameras track and analyze the movement of the ball and players with motion tracking software,... the first of its kind in Asia.
It provides detailed information... such as the flight course, air time, and velocity of balls hit into play.
"I like how I can use the app to watch from different viewpoints and rewatch run-scoring plays and home runs."
In addition to enhancing the viewer experience,... newly installed fine dust gauges measure the air quality in different sections of the stadium... and sprinkle artificial rain to lower fine dust levels.
"The biggest advantage of using 5G in sports is that fans can enjoy baseball in a way they have never done before. Up until now, people would simply tune into broadcasts, but with our service, they can control what they want to see."
More baseball teams around the country are planning to implement 5G technology... to enhance the spectator experience at their ballparks... and to also provide more sports-related content..
Lee Min-sun, Arirang News.
