The Secret Behind the Speed Seen Through Yoo Seungeun and Kim Sangkyum's Eyes [Paek Jongmin's Deep Tech]

Drones That Keep Pace With 100 km/h Downhill Skiing... Turning Speed Into a Physical Sensation
Ultralight, High-Speed Broadcast Technology Is Transforming the Olympic Viewing Experience

South Korean national snowboarder Yoo Seungeun crouched low and launched into the big air event from a massive structure. On viewers' screens, the snow surface raced by behind Yoo, and the kicker (takeoff ramp) loomed larger and larger.

And then, finally, the jump. The vivid sensation of "So that's how high they actually go" came through. Viewers were able to share not just "the sight of the jump" but even "the feeling of pushing off into the air."

A drone was spotted during the men's downhill skiing race. Reuters and Yonhap News

The jump that earned Yoo Seungeun the bronze medal was captured this way. Instead of a shot looking up from the stands, viewers joined the competition from the athlete's perspective through footage that followed both the acceleration just before takeoff and the airtime in the air.

The winning run that brought a silver medal in the snowboard parallel giant slalom for Kim Sangkyum was no different. The scene of the two athletes cutting through the gates was delivered into living rooms from slightly above, in midair, as if seen from the athletes' own point of view. From far away it would have been hard to even tell what was happening, but the shot chasing the riders from the sky maximized the sense of excitement.

That is not all. In the downhill and super-G events, where skiers descend long courses at speeds exceeding 100 km/h, the athletes' near-real presence was transmitted over broadcast signals and networks to TVs and smartphones. One online forum user cheered, saying, "You could feel the incredible speed exactly as it was. The scenes that always made me wonder why they looked so slow in previous broadcasts were completely different at this Olympics." Until now, commentary often mentioned speeds of 100 to 130 km/h, but the sense of speed viewers felt was limited. That was because fixed cameras or overhead shots made the speed look relatively smooth.

The equipment behind this change is the FPV (First Person View) drone, which made its Olympic debut at these Winter Games. Its impact has been enormous from the very first attempt. Unlike the Summer Olympics, many events here involve speeds that are too fast for a person with a handheld camera to follow.

Traditional broadcasts mostly captured events from the side or from above. That was effective for explaining jump height and rotation, the distance between gates, and the flow of the course. But the athletes' field of view and sensations were not shared.

During the dual moguls competition, a drone was captured on camera at the upper-center of the screen. Reuters-Yonhap News

FPV drones fly at the same altitude, in the same direction, and at the same speed as the athletes. That is why viewers are saying, "Now I finally understand how fast it feels for the athletes." In particular, the chase shots that kept up with alpine downhill runs at 120 to 130 km/h turned speeds that had only been numbers into a landscape viewers could physically sense.

It is as if footage that once seemed possible only in video games has been recreated through the competition of top athletes.

The drones deployed at these Games are different from commercial filming drones. They are broadcast-grade custom FPV aircraft based on racing-drone structures. They reach top speeds of around 120 km/h or more and weigh less than 250 g. The frame is a lightweight carbon-fiber design, powered by high-discharge lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries. For broadcasting, they are equipped with a low-latency camera for the pilot and a high-resolution camera for the broadcast feed.

The drones are not large. If you look closely at the broadcast, you can sometimes spot the drones chasing the athletes, but they are not very noticeable.

The drone in the upper right of the photo is capturing the snowboard big air athlete's takeoff. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The key to these drones is responsiveness. Latency in the pilot's view must be kept down to about 50 to 80 ms to respond to athletes' split-second movements. Motor setups that allow instant acceleration and rapid climbs are also essential.

In FPV flying, the pilot wears goggles and controls the drone using a first-person view. Experts with backgrounds in drone racing are being brought in. All of this is part of the Olympic Broadcasting Services.

Until now, commentary in broadcasts often mentioned speeds of 100 to 130 km/h, but the sense of speed viewers felt was limited. That was because fixed cameras or overhead shots made the speed look relatively "smooth."

There are downsides as well. Some viewers have complained of motion sickness. This is partly because the footage is unfamiliar. Some observers say it should be understood as a way of appreciating the athletes' perspective.

The official Olympic channel reported that innovative broadcasts using drones have "brought fans closer" to the action.