Olympic Game 2008 Tickets
When Beijing, China was chosen as the host city for the 2008 Olympic Games, one of the prevailing themes the city promoted was its ability to use high technology, in a 'High Tech Olympics'. In the seven and a half years since the announcement, Beijing officials have been working in a variety of ways to make that theme a reality. Here is a review of several ways Beijing is using sophisticated technology to enhance the upcoming Olympics. 1. Tickets for the 2008 Olympic Games---although tickets have been sold, they won't be distributed until summer. One of the plans is for the 2008 Olympic Game tickets to have electronic chips imbedded in them to prevent copying. Electronic tickets and contactless cards are also being considered. 2. Safety is of course a major concern at the events. China is establishing a security system for the Games that includes a face-recognition system that identifies athletes and staff who are cleared to be in a certain area. If a person is not recognized by the system, a warning will be raised. The Beijing Olympics will also use a high tech surveillance system that can scan video images of city streets and issue alerts when it detects dangerous patterns. High tech vehicles have been built that look normal on the outside but include multifunctional communications including microwave and satellite. In an emergency, these vehicles can be used as a command station.
3. Traffic and pollution are two other big issues in Beijing. Scientists and engineers are jointly working on a number of projects to address that. Intelligent public transport networks are being developed that improve traffic. China has launched a satellite that helps monitor venue construction and will help predict weather and traffic conditions during and after the Olympics. High tech vehicles such as a hybrid-electric car have been perfected, and will be used to transport people between venues. 4. Foods will also benefit from high technology. After a number of food and other products were recalled or banned, China is intent on providing safe food. A global positioning system will be used to track foods through their paths at the Olympics, from manufacturer to end-user. Among the strategies: food coming into the village will have a logistics code, and food transportation vehicles will be positioned and tracked. One low-tech step: mice will be given test food samples to ensure safety for humans. 5. The Olympic torch has gone high tech, as well as green. The torch is powered by propane, which when burned leaves only carbon dioxide and water, and therefore no pollution. The torch is also built to stay lit through gale force winds and torrential rains. Twice during previous Olympic relays, the flame was doused by weather conditions had to be relit with a backup torch. In addition, this Olympic's flame is designed to photograph well even in bright sunshine. If these high tech solutions succeed, they will benefit China long after the Olympics have ended, and will provide useful examples to other cities as well.
