Capgemini brings a new dimension to the 37th America’s Cup with WindSight IQ™

Cutting-edge technology and sheer team spirit

Global and technology-driven by nature, the America’s Cup is one of the most iconic and prestigious events in the global sporting calendar. With technology innovation, high performance and team spirit at the heart, it embodies many of the Group’s values, and makes for a natural fit with our sports sponsorship portfolio.

As part of our partnership, we teamed up with the 37th America’s Cup to reveal the power of the wind during the 2024 competition.

Capgemini brought a new dimension to the 37th America’s Cup with WindSight IQ™

Combining cutting-edge technology and engineering with stunning design, with WindSight IQ™ we led the way to a new era of fan experience. Bringing the physical and digital worlds together, we enabled millions of viewers to see and understand the wind in real-time, a first in the history of sailing and broadcast television.

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“Global and technology-driven by nature, this prestigious sailing tournament – more diverse and sustainable than ever this year – embodies many of the Group’s values.”

Aiman Ezzat, CEO of Capgemini

Making the wind visible

When passion for sports meets innovation spirit to see the unseen.

WindSight IQ™, a whole new dimension to the race

Bringing together the digital and physical worlds

Capgemini’s WindSight IQ™ is a gamechanger for the experience of sailing events. Combining our expertise in technology, engineering, data and design, we use LiDAR (light detection and ranging), sensor fusion and scientific computation to reveal the wind in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) graphics.

LiDAR technology

– 3 LiDARs positioned along the Barcelona Bay
– Each averaging a 6.5km scanning range up to a maximum of 12km.
– Each scanner has a 30 degree per second scanning rate with a wind speed accuracy of <0.1m/s up to 35m/s (68 knots) of wind.

Wind visualisation

– AR and VR
– Unveiling real-time wind conditions across the race area
– Providing heightened immersion in the action and a captivating visual spectacle

Simulation

– AR and VR
– Simulation of tactical scenarios before, during, and after the race
– Combination of real-time wind field data and a Ghost Boat Simulator

Revealing new horizons: The series

Dive into our dynamic 6-episode series, featuring interviews and exclusive footage. Discover the untold story of WindSight IQ™ through the eyes of our engineers, designers, data specialists, and sailing experts. From its ambitious beginnings to its groundbreaking impact, this series takes you through the story of a transformation in the world of sports and beyond.

Episode 1: The genesis of the project

Discover the origins of the partnership between Capgemini and the 37th America’s Cup, where a shared dedication to innovation led to the creation of WindSight IQ™. See how both teams united around the common challenge of making for the first time the invisible visible and bringing wind to life on screen in less than seven months.

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Episode 2: The future of fan experience

Explore how WindSight IQ™ is transforming the fan experience. Our team has worked to help the audience, both die-hard fans and those new to this sport, to gain a better understanding of the action on the water. Discover how they harnessed the power of real-time insights to reveal the invisible forces behind each move, making the race both captivating and easy to follow.

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Episode 3: Capturing the wind

Discover the high-stakes engineering challenge behind WindSight IQ™. How do you capture precise racecourse data in unpredictable weather? By pushing the limits of existing technology. Using three LiDARs, engineers mapped a digital wind field in real-time, overcoming a critical hurdle. This breakthrough redefined how data is captured, providing a powerful new tool that is changing the way the AC37’s races are understood and experienced.

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Episode 4: A data equation

How did Capgemini’s engineers transform simple data into a detailed, real-time wind field map that covers the entire racecourse? Discover how our technology, using advanced data processing innovations, turns raw data into the most accurate wind model yet. This technological breakthrough, providing live updates, was the foundation for revolutionizing the way we experienced the 37th America’s Cup.

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Episode 5: A broadcast revolution

Making complex sailing data accessible to all broadcasters of the 37th America’s Cup was at the heart of the creation of WindSight IQ™. By using VR and AR technologies to visually depict the story of each race, commentators were empowered to simplify and explain the intricate scenarios playing out in Barcelona. Explore how the engaging and easy to understand design of WindSight IQ™ helped them enhance viewer engagement.

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Episode 6: Going beyond sailing with WindSight IQ ™

Explore how Capgemini, through cutting-edge innovations like WindSight IQ™, is transforming the sports industry and beyond! While WindSight IQ™ already revolutionized the experience of the 37th America’s Cup, its applications extend far beyond sailing. This demonstrates the power of innovation to reshape not only the sports landscape but also the future of various industries.

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Enhancing the fan experience

Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand boss, introduces the America’s Cup as the pinnacle of sailing and highlights its synergy with Capgemini, promising a great viewer experience.

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A little history

The America’s Cup is the oldest international sporting competition still operating. Races are held between two yachts – the defender (this year, Emirates Team New Zealand) and the challenger.

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Insights

Capgemini Research Institute

Beyond the game: The new era of AI-powered sports engagement

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