Technology the big winner at Winter Olympics

Visual appeal

At the opening ceremony, performers' movements were captured in real time by the screens on the stadium floor.

During the "peace dove" part of the ceremony, no matter where the child performers ran, the snow at their feet followed, creating a strong visual appeal. Chang said this was not a pre-designed effect, but the use of "real-time capture, rendering and playback" technology.

Technologies such as AI and 5G have also been widely employed to construct venues. AI giant Megvii used GPS and vision fusion technologies to build a detailed high-precision 3D map of the Bird's Nest and several other Olympic venues.

Such smart augmented reality navigation can provide an immersive virtual-real fusion effect with accurate positioning and no delays, Megvii said, adding that the technology is not affected by buildings, ice and snow, for example.

Baidu used virtual reality technology for a 3D model of the Shougang ski jump platform, a landmark winter sports venue in Beijing. The model gives spectators an up-close view of athletes' performances.

AI is also providing more technical support for the Winter Olympics. AI-powered robots clean and disinfect venues, AI sign language "anchors" allow people with impaired hearing to enjoy the excitement of the Games, and robot chefs cook a wide variety of tasty meals.

Some athletes have been surprised to find food delivered to their rooms by robots developed by Chinese tech company Segway-Ninebot. After orders are placed, these devices take elevators and navigate their way from restaurants to competitors' rooms. They also patrol competition venues as security guards.

Segway-Ninebot said the robots use technology that allows them to operate in precise locations in different environments, as well as algorithms to achieve smooth movement.