As part of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps' desire to create an ecosystem around its activities and participate in innovation in its sector, while involving local players, a partnership has been set up with the Dreamwall company to innovate in the audiovisual field.
The new technology consists of inserting virtual elements, using augmented reality, into live images taken during the races.
The partnership began with a POC (Proof of Concept) at last season's ELMS - 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. In view of the conclusive results, production and marketing of the project were launched this season.
Amaury Bertholomé, CEO
“The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is a world-renowned sports facility. Motor sports have been its DNA for over 100 years, and since this season, it has also been offering a wider range of new tourist activities, including rides, cycling and running.
Much more than a sports and tourism infrastructure, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is also a platform for the development of innovative projects. It is in this ecosystemic logic that a partnership has been forged with Dreamwall, a Walloon company with internationally recognized expertise in the field of virtual technologies. This new product - DreamSports AR Track - is also in line with the Circuit's commitment to sustainable development. In fact, Dreamwall's virtual advertising inlays can be used to replace advertising hoardings or paintings on the ground, resulting in significant savings in transport, production and painting.
We are delighted that the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa was the first to use this new product for the live broadcast of its centenary edition, which drew 99,500 spectators to the Circuit and millions of television viewers around the world. The result lived up to our expectations, with a rendering that flirted with reality.
I would like to thank the Dreamwall Media Solutions teams, led by Thibault Baras, for this ambitious partnership between two Walloon leaders in their field but also LMEM, which enabled us to test this new virtual technology product, thanks to the proof of concept carried out last year during the ELMS.”
This technology offers a number of advantages: flexibility for sponsorship, with the possibility of doubling the appearances of sponsors already physically present on site, of adding sponsors solely for live events, of multiplying the number of possible sponsors, or of inlaying different advertisements depending on the country of broadcast, etc. Finally, the possibility of eliminating on-track paint (tarmac and grass) has an important environmental impact, as it significantly reduces the quantity of paint on the track. The possibilities for inlays are infinite: they can be used to virtually dress up certain sections of the circuit, but also to bring a new dynamic to the presentation of race information and data, ... or to boost fan engagement on social networks by inserting virtual “Fans Walls” or relaying the publications of connected fans and influencers who follow or comment on the race.
Thibault Baras, Manager Dreamwall Media Solutions
“In addition to the showcase that this partnership represents, this achievement is a real springboard in the development phase of our products and services dedicated to sports in general and Motor Sports in particular. Above all, it means that this project is now sufficiently mature and complete to be able to attract race and event organizers to the Spa Francorchamps circuit in the first instance, with the natural expectation of future international recognition, as is already the case for our virtual studio services in particular.
In addition to our mastery of the various technologies involved, it's our know-how and constant quest for perfect integration - taking care to preserve the natural imperfections of the elements - that enable us to achieve an incredible level of realism and credibility... This can often render the integration of virtual elements virtually undetectable to the majority of viewers... Examples include the insertion of natural virtual elements such as bushes and trees, or adaptation to the cycles of day and night and to climatic conditions - such as shadows, rain, fog,.... - whose sole aim is to make AR as integrated as possible.
These achievements would not have been possible without the active collaboration of the circuit teams and the dynamic vision of Amaury Bertholomé in developing this innovative ecosystem.”
Laurent Gaudin, General Manager, CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa
“This new technology has opened up new perspectives and greater creativity for sponsorship, not least in terms of our live broadcast. It has given our main sponsor CrowdStrike greater and more dynamic visibility, day and night. The visual insertions of logos in the images are very realistic and adapt to the climatic and lighting conditions, and have made it possible to enrich the image of more neutral areas such as the lawn, the edges of the track or to create, for example, gantries on the track. This provides added value to both our audiovisual production and our sponsorship offering, and innovation has been part of our DNA for a hundred years.”
