WindInsight IQ Let America’s Cup Broadcasters Visualize Wind Behavior in Real-Time

Capgemini and the America’s Cup Media has just revealed a new wind-visualization technology, called WindSight IQ, to augment the broadcast of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.

“For the first time, viewers and race commentators will be able to actually see the wind and how it varies across the racecourse in real-time. Furthermore, a yacht simulator will take the wind data and calculate the optimal routes around the course, enabling commentators and viewers to predict what teams on the water should do or analyze how teams could have won a race. A feat of engineering and design, WindSight IQ means that commentators and viewers will have more data and insight into the pinnacle event of international sailing than is available to the competing teams on the water,” the announcement reads.

The Capgemini Research Institute's specialty is in using data and technology to drive business transformation. In January, the company became a partner of America's Cup. The company says its role is to “bring its extensive expertise in digital innovation, sustainability, data, and artificial intelligence (AI) to the tech driven sailing competition.” 

Capgemini says, “Due to the technical challenge, no-one has been able to accurately demonstrate visualization of the wind in real-time yacht racing conditions—until now. Combining its expertise in technology, engineering, data and design, Capgemini and America’s Cup Media, the host broadcaster for the event, will use LiDAR (light detection and ranging), sensor fusion, and scientific computation to reveal the wind in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) graphics. The wind field data is also fed in real-time to a yacht simulator and used to create a live ‘ghost boat’ simulation that can be projected onto the racecourse through AR and VR graphics. It will show the optimal path that the crews should take given the measured variations in wind pressure, sheers, orientation, and speed.” 

The three LiDARs used as part of the solution are supplied by LUMIBIRD.

The use of simulation in America's Cup competition is the focus of the July/August issue, now available for download.