Live Big Screen Footage for Free dive comps

[Walrus]

Hi All,
I was reading Paul Kotik's "Diving for Dollars" and found it very interesting. It's true what he said that the spectators on the boat don't really see much of the action.


Well, how about getting a big screen like they have at Football games and other sporting stadiums?
Then after the competitor dives down, the spectators turn and watch the live underwater footage of the dive on the Big screen, and once he/she is about to surface up they look back at the water and clap for the diver ?

I'd say having Live underwater footage would be quite a bit more exciting.


There are quite a few technical minded people on this forum, Do you think this is technically possible ?

What do you think the hard part would be ?

Is the problem getting a live feed through water ?
I know most radio frequencies don't work, except for ULF, like Submarines use. I know Audio frequencies can be used to transmit digital information, this is already being used by the Navy in several countries.....

Look at the low cost of digital camera's. Compression algorithm's can be used to transmitt video over quite low bandwidths, Surely
having a low quality picture would be better then nothing at all.


Could also rig up an Sled, with a camera, to follow the diver down, then a camera man is not required. Or just have several stationary cameras at different depths then switch between these.

Worst Case if you can't have a live feed, then you could have a digital camera that pops's up the same time as the diver. Then a quick data offload, and you could watch an "Instant replay" on the screen".

I think this would lose some of the impact though.


I'm sure having a live feed is possible, hell I'd even volunteer to help out with ideas if anyone is game to try it.

Could just start a prototype with a cheap, low res internet camera, a PC at the other end. All you need is the digital "link" in between.

Maybe you can already buy these.

Cheers,
Wal

 

[Walrus]

Doh.

Doh,

It's just occured to me that there is no reason why stationary cameras with long water proof cables can't be used....

Wouldn't cost too much, the couple of hundred metres of cable might be the biggest cost, still wouldn't be too bad.

So what's stopping AIDA from doing this ?


I wish I thought of it earlier, I could have tried making one up for the Australian comp, well too late now......

 

[Walrus]

Doh again,

All this has already been done......


Couldn't they just hire an ROV for the International comps?
I know they are expensive but the french are already wolrd leaders in underwater reasearch, they use these things all the time.

Still too expensive ?
What about a TOV ?

The T stands for "Towable", so like an ROV but no motors, just wait for it ..... waterproof Camera & Lights with a cable link to the surface. Seen adds for them at for about $10,000 AUS (~$5000 US).


An ROV may not be fast enough to follow someone down all the way, but if it was at the half way point, it would give good control of camera angles, and follow thge diver for some of the way.

Sorry all,
I'm in Daydream mode


Cheers,
Wal

 

[Erik]

Nice solo-brainstorming Wal....good ideas I think. Just getting someone to foot the bill is, as always, the main problem with most good ideas
It would be nice to have an ROV mounted on a parallel vertical line that ran all or some of the dive, like the ones on wires they're using for F1 racing. There was something similar at the Atlanta Olympics for the running track too, if I remember correctly....very cool. The F1 camera does 100 kmh I believe!
Kirk K showed us a dock off the Vancouver coast that sits over a 200 metre wall. A big dock, with enough room for 200 spectators and a few big screen TV's.....that would be great!
Cheers from the toxic cloud,
Erik Y.