WELLINGTON (NEW ZEALAND) – Since 1992, Ian Taylor has been bringing the America’s Cup to life for television viewers. But now he seems to be worried that the secret designs and speed of the boats for the regatta next year may have left his computer graphics firm in the dark.
Since the hi-tech AC75 foiling monohulls are so fast, and their design and builds are secret, he is unsure how it will affect the graphics package that his company comes out with.
“We’re testing all the data and software from next week,” Animation Research’s Taylor said.
“Nobody has seen the boats (in race action) and we haven’t had any data from them in a proper environment.
“We had a simulated test about a month or so ago and it worked. We will give it a hammering (next week) and see how it goes,” he added.
Sailing commentators credit Animation Research’s graphics for aiding fans to follow the regatta as the package has real-time animation of racing.
Data given by the race management team is converted into 3D and 2D animations. But for the regatta next year, there will be superimposed graphics over the top of live shots from the boats, broadcasters and aerial cameras.
“Everything we have been doing over the last 30 years is about visualising the data coming from the boats,” he said.
“This is the first time that the graphics will be delivered from imagery rather than data.
“We have developed software that knows what the camera is looking at all of the time, where it’s pointing, what the zoom is so we can then place our graphics on it.”
He said that German firm Riedel Communications, which built all of the systems that permit broadcasters to get live audio and video feeds from the boats, had no idea what they were dealing with.
“They didn’t get to see the boats because they’re secret,” he said.
Riedel also had to be careful about the weight of the gadgets and where they can be placed so as not to upset the yachts’ balance as they slice through the water at more than 50 knots (92kph).
“The thing that will be different in this America’s Cup will be the boat. There has been nothing like it,” he said.