Hi tech at its best will be produced by a team effort of satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe, and expert modelling and simulation services AEgis Technologies Group to provide NBC Universal with access to a 3D digital model of Beijing. This will occur during the network’s broadcasts of the Olympic Games.

  This is the first time this ground-breaking technology has been leveraged to develop highly accurate 3D simulation quickly for NBC’s coverage of the Olympics.  DigitalGlobe’s accurate imagery from its constellation made it more efficient to process into 3D modeling. The collaboration between AEgis’ simulation technology and DigitalGlobe’s extensive library of satellite imagery content allowed virtual databases to be rendered in just days. This is also the first time that an open source platform was leveraged to develop a lightweight and easy to use true 3D simulation.

  With this technology, NBC will be able to virtually “fly” around the events and offer its audience simulated views of the inside and outside of the  Beijing sporting venues.

These 3D models are rendered at 60 frames per second to allow for smooth transition between venues, and the data can also be exported out of the model in various formats for use in other applications such as ESRI ARCmap and Google Earth. For more information about the satellite imagery and 3D used in this project please access this website.