Virtual Eye, the sports division of Dunedin company Animation Research Ltd (ARL), has just won its fourth Sports Emmy award at the 46th Annual Sports Emmy Awards ceremony in New York.
And Virtual Eye commercial and production executive vice-president Ben Taylor said, given the company’s trajectory, there could be more in the future.
It collaborated with several other technology companies around the world to provide groundbreaking cover of the 2024 PGA Tournament using drones.
For that, it won the George Wensel Technical Achievement Award, beating other companies working on other large-scale sporting events, including the XXXIII Olympic Games (Immersive Audio at Scale), the NFL (StatusPro Visualizer VR Technology) and Thursday Night Football (AI Feature Latency).
The award recognises the biggest leaps ahead in technical achievement in sports broadcasting.
Mr Taylor said its new technology allowed golf viewers to get up above the trees and see the makeup of the course and where the ball was going — all in real time.
“So, in the event, we would fly the drone up above the trees, and about three seconds after the player hits the ball, there’s a predictive circle that animates where the ball’s going to land.
“It allows viewers to get above the trees and see around the corner of the dog leg.”
The technology allowed the company to “tell the whole story of the game”, and it had resonated with the viewers, he said.
“Although it was a very, very technical achievement, the whole thing for us is around storytelling.
“And that’s the reason I think it won, because what it allowed the broadcaster to do is to show all of the graphics people are used to seeing, but from a live drone.
“That’s never been done in golf before.”
None of the companies involved in the project went to the awards ceremony in New York, Mr Taylor said.
The award was accepted on their behalf by representatives from the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA).
“Getting one Sports Emmy is an amazing achievement. Getting our fourth — it’s incredible.
“Again, I think it’s kind of recognition of the work that the team is doing down here, that we can stay so consistent and so relevant on the leading edge of innovation, from here in Dunedin.
“I think it’s a blueprint for other companies working in Dunedin, working in New Zealand and working globally.
“I think that’s probably the most satisfying thing about it.”
The team were “very proud” of the achievement, Mr Taylor said.
“And I don’t think we’re done yet either.
“The team continues to push the boundaries and I think that’s why we’ve been recognised these four times, and why hopefully we’ll be recognised again in the future as well.
“Winning awards like this never gets old.”
