NEW YORK—Fox News Channel said it will debut new immersive graphics technology during its election night coverage next Tuesday (Nov. 5).
As part of Fox News’ renovation of its Studio M earlier this year, the network’s engineers worked to improve the viewer experience with several technology and design upgrades. Those included new augmented reality (AR) technology for anchor Bill Hemmer’s “Bill”-board showing election data, recently developed virtual set technology and new touchscreen applications for Fox News Voter Analysis.
The tools will enable Fox News reporting teams to provide the audience with the most updated polling information and voter analysis throughout its marathon coverage, Fox News reported.
Debuting on election night, the newly developed “Bill”-board technology was enhanced to include augmented reality attributes and 3D interaction allowing Hemmer to further drill into election data in real time.
With the new tools, Hemmer can interact and telestrate in 3D space, as the infrared sensors can track anchors and objects. The 3D space is also equipped with voice to text, where natural language will trigger augmented reality graphics. These new tools will be visible in population maps, outstanding vote maps and battleground state historical voting charts.
Fox News also said it has created several sophisticated multimedia presentation concepts to enhance the election-viewing experience, including a “Path to 270” map, showcasing the presidential nominees’ potential line to the critical electoral votes needed through dynamic 3D interaction. Using those tools, Fox News anchors can present various scenarios by moving virtual objects representing electoral college votes on the path to winning the presidency.
Additionally, the network developed a “Top 5 Closest Races” tool, which gives a snapshot of races that are too close to call. This provides real-time updates on the candidates’ standing and the impact on the electoral landscape, allowing the audience to visualize the intensity and uncertainty of the closest battles for the presidency, Fox News said.
In addition to the technological enhancements, Fox News also made several design improvements to Studio M, which has served as its election headquarters over the last two presidential cycles. On election night, co-anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum and panelists will convene behind a bespoke “super desk,” designed for the anchors and their teams to use during special news coverage.
Studio M also now features a two-story-high accent feature wall and a 20-foot-long ultra-high-definition media wall for showcasing video and photo elements during the broadcast. Additionally, dimensional accent walls and extensive lighting placements were developed to create multiple presentation areas in the studio.
