
5VREAL: EMG / Gravity Media Italy and Vodafone contribute to innovative sports analysis and fan engagement project By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 - 08:48
Print This Story
Combining artificial intelligence, 5G and video analytics systems to enhance technical match analysis and enrich audience engagement, the 5G Volley Reality Experience & Analytics Live (5VREAL) Project was conceived and implemented by a partnership of companies and research institutes including the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, EMG / Gravity Media Italy, the Bruno Kessler Foundation, Small Pixels, and Vodafone Italy.
As part of this project, the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano recently led an experiment on systems using AI to recognise phases and parameters of volleyball games and to generate data associated with video to support the development of game tactics or to enhance fan engagement by producing real-time highlights with augmented reality graphics for inclusion in the event's coverage.
In the experiment, conducted at the Trento Sports Hall during an event involving women's volleyball team Trentino Volley, remote broadcast production techniques and technologies based on 5G networks played a dual fundamental role. First, they enabled the acquisition of images and their transfer to the Edge Cloud hosting AI-based systems. Second, they enabled the creation of real-time highlights and made them available for playout in the control room.
The Free University of Bozen-Bolzano led a consortium of entities and companies engaged in developing technologies to achieve the project's goals. In particular, the Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK) and UniBZ focused on developing AI-based systems for analysing game phases. Small Pixels developed and provided its AI-based technology to enhance the video quality of compressed content. Vodafone installed a dedicated indoor coverage network at the Trento Sports Hall, leveraging the capacity and flexibility of its 5G network to ensure the required performance for mobile devices located there. It also established a private network connecting these devices to Edge Computing resources set up at the MCR in Cologno Monzese by EMG / Gravity Media Italy.
EMG / Gravity Media Italy built the entire technological infrastructure of the data centre, provided its production facilities, and implemented a low-latency remote contribution and production system based on Vodafone's 5G Remote Media Production Platform.
The complete process developed by the partners enabled the filming of a volleyball match using four cameras connected via 5G to the remote production system of the edge data centre in Cologno and EMG / Gravity Media Italy's Nova 126 mobile unit. Alongside broadcast cameras, the event was filmed with three smartphones, also connected via 5G to the Edge Cloud in Cologno, to demonstrate the feasibility of AI-based tracking even when the event is not produced for television broadcasting.
The AI-based systems' processing results were displayed on a tablet showing the event video and the game data extracted by the systems. Clips enriched with augmented reality were integrated into the event's programme as highlights.
The extracted data and generated content could also be consulted post-event for game analysis to support strategy development.
5G network solution
The experiment benefited from Vodafone's 5G network solution designed for remote video contribution and production applications, extended with an Edge Computing node at the MCR data centre in Cologno Monzese by EMG / Gravity Media Italy. To maximise performance in terms of low latency and reliability, the Edge Computing infrastructure was made directly accessible to devices enabled on Vodafone's 5G network through a direct and virtually dedicated connection.
This approach allowed devices equipped with specific non-commercial SIMs to utilise advanced features such as network slicing, which allocates the necessary resources to ensure substantial bandwidth (especially in upload) and extremely low latency levels. These resources are essential for enabling real-time transmission of high-quality video streams over a wireless network.
Additionally, these devices enjoyed a direct and dedicated connection, almost as if there were a direct line between the indoor coverage apparatus in the sports hall and EMG's Edge Cloud. This was made possible by the high capacity and evolved functionalities of Vodafone's advanced 5G infrastructure.
To maximise its network's performance for audiovisual contribution and production uses, Vodafone contributed to developing dedicated devices, acquired and managed by EMG Italy for this occasion. These devices, comparable to backpacks commonly used in the broadcast sector, represent a significant evolution as they feature superior audio/video functionalities compared to what's currently available on the market, integrating technologies such as bonding with precise operator network integration.
As a result, wherever a connection is established in Italy via one or more SIMs, data reaches the Cologno Monzese data centre in an average time of about 15 milliseconds without traversing the internet, thus avoiding impacts on bandwidth availability and latency. The connection characteristics (bandwidth and latency) depend only on the radio access quality, which is enhanced by the terminal's features.
During the experiment, exceptional access performance was achieved, allowing terminals to operate with connectivity exceeding 700Mb/s in download and 100Mb/s in upload, with transport latencies consistently below 20ms.
The video contribution latency, thanks to the encoding and decoding performance of the devices and the data centre systems, was consistently under 150ms, enabling any contribution or remote production activity.
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
16/09/2025
AMSTERDAM The organizers of IBC2025 are reporting that 43,858 visitors from more than 170 countries attended the event, which had more than 1,300 exhibitors and...
16/09/2025
Wooden Camera announces the release of its new Accessory Collection for the FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55. The highlights of this collection include vital power soluti...
16/09/2025
Anton/Bauer, a leading manufacturer of mobile power solutions for broadcast and cinematic equipment, has announced the launch of Anton/Bauer Fleet Management, a...
16/09/2025
Teradek, a leading provider of video transmission and live production solutions, today announced the launch of Prism Jetpack, a groundbreaking 5G video contribu...
16/09/2025
Astera, the leader in wireless LED lighting solutions, announces the ultra-versatile SolaBulb. Building on the success of the Astera bulb family, SolaBulb intro...
16/09/2025
As the world gathered at TED2025 to explore the provocative theme "Humanity Reimagined", Clear-Com , supported by NETGEAR networking infrastructure, delivered f...
16/09/2025
Bitfocus' Buttons platform celebrated as a catalyst for AV and broadcast convergence
Bitfocus has been named winner of the IABM Impact Award Pro AV Chan...
16/09/2025
Record entries and outstanding innovation celebrated at IBC2025 as the MediaTech community honors its leading people, projects and organizations
IABM announced...
16/09/2025
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (SJC), a leading satellite operator and pay-TV provider in Japan, has partnered with H...
16/09/2025
Telestream congratulates Sky Group, which has been awarded the prestigious IBC Innovation Award for Content Distribution for its MediaMesh platform on Sunday, S...
16/09/2025
Leading space solutions company will use optical ground stations to deliver faster, more secure data from space
Luxembourg, September 15, 2025 - SES, a leading...
16/09/2025
NOVI, Mich. ENCO has unveiled Raptor, a cloud-based live streaming captioning encoder that injects the speed, power and reliability of real-time AI capabilities...
16/09/2025
NEW YORK Comcast NBCUniversal and NBCUniversal Local have announced that a total of $2.5 million has been awarded in 2025 to 69 nonprofit organizations servicin...
16/09/2025
AMSTERDAM Martin Euredjian has joined Atomos as director of advanced imaging and will lead innovation for advanced display technology....
16/09/2025
AMSTERDAM Calrec introduced a 48-faced Argo M and showcased its largest Argo software updates at the recently concluded IBC2025....
16/09/2025
AMSTERDAM Lawo introduced its HOME Audio Shuffler app, a replacement for a traditional baseband audio matrix within an IP-based Dynamic Media Facility, during t...
16/09/2025
CBS is reporting that the 77TH Emmy Awards hosted by Nate Bargatze on Sunday Sept. 14 was seen by more than 7.42 million viewers on the CBS Television Network a...
15/09/2025
Steve Zahn, Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Janeane Garofalo star in Ben Stiller&...
15/09/2025
Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...
15/09/2025
Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...
15/09/2025
After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...
15/09/2025
A U.S. Marine launches a Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile during a training exercise. (Photo credit: U.S. Marine Corps)...
15/09/2025
AMSTERDAM TV Tech has named its Best of Show Awards winners for IBC2025, which wraps up today. Entrants were judged by a panel of industry experts on the criter...
15/09/2025
Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...
15/09/2025
Paris, France - September 15, 2025 -- Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-p...
15/09/2025
Back to All News
The Great Flood' Teaser Trailer Previews A Gripping Struggle for Survival
Entertainment
15 September 2025
GlobalSouth Korea
Link copi...
15/09/2025
Back to All News
From Hardship to Hope: Typhoon Family' Presents a Tale of...
15/09/2025
Back to All News
Gloom Goes Global as Wednesday's' The Doom Tour Hit...
15/09/2025
-- Opens door to growth in renewable energy New Delhi, India - 15th September -- Global business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technol...
14/09/2025
Partnership to address business and technical challenges of DMF adoption
he Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU...
14/09/2025
WARNER BROS. TELEVISION'S THE PITT (HBO MAX) WINS FIVE EMMY AWARDS, INCLU...
14/09/2025
Back to All News
Mantis' Trailer Previews High-Stakes Rivalries to Be No. ...
13/09/2025
ATLANTA Cox Media Group has announced that the company's vice president of news, Misty Turnbull has been inducted into the National Academy of Television Ar...
13/09/2025
AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems, a major developer of robotic systems, has announced plans to take studio robotics to the next level at IBC2025 by debuting ...
13/09/2025
At IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero Mini, the company's lightest and flattest wireless intercom beltpack to date. Designed to del...
13/09/2025
Shotoku Broadcast Systems, the international developer of dependable, userfriendly robotic systems, is taking studio robotics to the next level at IBC 2025 with...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today released the 9th annual Video Developer Report 2025/26, offering an in-depth look at the evolvi...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, the leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with StreamShark, the trusted video platform for enterprise...
13/09/2025
Ikegami has chosen IBC 2025 in Amsterdam as the launch venue for a major addition to its range of viewfinders. The new VFE-P711AD is a 7-inch high resolution OL...
13/09/2025
Founder-led Merger to Fast Track R&D, Asset Library Upgrades, Tools and More; No Disruption to Pricing or Support for Users
Today, KitBash3D, a pioneer in 3D a...
13/09/2025
With NDI certification, Atomos integration, Grass Valley collaboration, and a new Monitor app, at this year's IBC, Mavis is showcasing a series of powerful...
13/09/2025
Creamsource, maker of artisan LED lighting for film and television, has unveiled the Vortex24 Soft (V24S), a 1950W native soft light and the largest soft source...
13/09/2025
When international sports streaming service DAZN secured the global rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup football tournament, it set out to deliver an unmatch...
13/09/2025
Riedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface from Broadcast Solutions, bringing a powerful, vendor-agnostic control system to it...
13/09/2025
Building on its long-term relationship with audio metering specialist RTW, Calrec has integrated the company's brand new TMxCore metering platform across it...
13/09/2025
Calrec is expanding its family of future-ready self-contained Argo M control surfaces at IBC2025, with the addition of a brand new powerful 48-fader console. Co...
13/09/2025
Celtic languages - including Cornish, Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh - are the U.K.'s oldest living languages. To empower their speakers, the UK-LLM sover...
13/09/2025
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...