V-FAB Soccer | SMT Presentations

THE V-FAB

EXPERIENCE

BRINGING BACK

SPECTACLE AND ENERGY

TO LIVE SPORTS

As fans around the world hunger for the relaunch of live sports, SMT responds with V-FAB, a virtual platform that reignites the energy and excitement of cheering crowds while offering sponsors new ways of blasting brands and messages to consumers.

WE ARE

GAME CHANGERS

SMT has been serving the sports industry since 1985, with a focus on data visualization. Our experience is unsurpassed. The Yellow 1st & Ten line. The PITCHf/x virtual strike zone. NASCAR’s GhostCar . That’s all SMT. Our goal is to be a valued partner, sharing ideas and concepts that have been successful in the broader sports marketplace.

Play Show Reel

EMPOWERING CLIENTS WITH

VIRTUAL SOLUTIONS

SMT’s Virtual Fans, Ads and Brands (V-FAB) system infuses broadcasts with the high energy of virtual fans in the stands, while empowering sponsors and advertisers with in-game, geographically targeted virtual ads and messaging.

THREE CHEERS

FOR FANS

of respondents want sports to return even without fans in attendance

plan to watch as much sports as possible

ESPN CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN

FAN STUDY

April 2020

PARADIGM

SHIFTED

SMT shifted our R&D to find innovative ways to provide fans with the familiar comfort of cheering spectators in the stands, developing virtual opportunities that also include team logos, sponsored billboards, and animated on-field graphics.

PRIOR TO FIRST USE

Ingest 3D model
Choose V-FAB camera set
Enumerate set of Scene Target Areas
Ingest and maintain art asset library
- Team-related assets (i.e., logos, artwork, color palettes)
- Static sponsor/brand signage
- Animating ads, brands, promos, mp4s

HOW WE DO IT

COMPUTER VISION

AND AI PROCESSING

SMT’s V-FAB system uses computer vision and AI processing to:

Recognize and track visible fiducials* in a V-FAB camera's field-of-view

Constantly calculate the V-FAB camera’s position in 3D space relative to the changing image in each new video frame.

* A fiducial is a known point in real space that a V-FAB camera uses as an image-processing reference point and visual anchor. Examples include painted lines on the pitch grass, or 3D scanned and modeled areas of the stadium.

The V-FAB rendering application uses the V-FAB camera’s POV tracking data, the 3D model of the venue, and a library of user-selected content to virtually insert video and animating graphical content into the video scene.

Cameras that run V-FAB are chosen by the broadcast producer from the set of existing cameras covering that sporting event. Some cameras are perfect for V-FAB; however, not all on-site cameras can run or should attempt to run V-FAB. Important limitations must be understood by the broadcast producer.

CAMERA SPECS

What is the process for getting V-FAB in my facility?

Create or acquire a LiDAR scan of the facility that is to be modeled in 3D. Choose the V-FAB configuration (i.e., downstream, on-site, REMI) for your TV production environment. Choose how many, and which, V-FAB cameras will be supported in each stadium. Hire SMT to build the 3D model from the LiDAR scan. License the V-FAB system from SMT. Hire SMT to install and test V-FAB in your sport facility or central TV production studio. Configure/load V-FAB with your own art asset library. Hire SMT to operate V-FAB or hire SMT to train your operator.
What does V-FAB cost?

V-FAB is licensed annually on a per-game basis pricing model with rates determined by number of arenas, configuration, camera count, and the system options selected.
How soon can I get V-FAB operational?

As a general guideline, V-FAB can be running in location within three weeks of SMT receiving the LiDAR scan.

FAQs

What is the process for getting V-FAB in my facility?

Create or acquire a LiDAR scan of the facility that is to be modeled in 3D. Choose the V-FAB configuration (i.e., downstream, on-site, REMI) for your TV production environment. Choose how many, and which, V-FAB cameras will be supported in each stadium. Hire SMT to build the 3D model from the LiDAR scan. License the V-FAB system from SMT. Hire SMT to install and test V-FAB in your sport facility or central TV production studio. Configure/load V-FAB with your own art asset library. Hire SMT to operate V-FAB or hire SMT to train your operator.
What does V-FAB cost?

V-FAB is licensed annually on a per-game basis pricing model with rates determined by number of arenas, configuration, camera count, and the system options selected.
How soon can I get V-FAB operational?

As a general guideline, V-FAB can be running in location within three weeks of SMT receiving the LiDAR scan.