LONDON—ChryonHego is heading onto the pitch for FIFA soccer matches, at least virtually. The company’s Virtual Football system has been officially certified as a virtual offside line technology that will be used by not only broadcasters, but as the official resource for the video assistant referee workflow.
The Virtual Football system inserts virtual graphics onto the field, including the accurate placement of offside lines. The system is built on advanced image processing, allowing users to insert virtual graphics without the need for camera sensors or special camera heads. It also has a built-in keyer to overcome environmental effects like shadows or bright sunlight.
Updates to the Virtual Football system that have allowed it be certified by FIFA have included optimized calibration speed and workflow, field and lens parameters, and allowing selections from multiple angles to improve accuracy and streamline user workflow, according to Niall Hendry, product manager, Sports, at ChyronHego.
FIFA’s approval came after a number of testing events that measured the rendered offside lines for their accuracy in a variety of scenarios. Virtual Football passed all of the performance criteria laid out by FIFA.
“It is critical that technologies used in professional football are of the highest quality and accuracy, and FIFA certification shows that Virtual Football has met this high standard,” said Ian Wray, sports director for EMEA and APAC at ChyronHego.
More information is available at www.chyronhego.com.
