Automated highlights, augmented reality and an "all-knowing chatbot" called "Ask Fred" are among the new innovations from the the All England Lawn Tennis Club and IBM at this year’s Wimbledon Championships, according to Charlie Eccleshare of the London TELEGRAPH. The AELTC and IBM announced on Tuesday that they are "introducing a raft of innovations" for the '17 tournament in order to "engage existing supporters and try to expand the tournament's global audience." Ask Fred -- named after Britain’s three-time Wimbledon champion Fred Perry -- is enabled by IBM’s Watson technology and "offers a cognitive assistant to answer questions from fans visiting the event." Supporters can "get information on a range of topics, including where to eat and drink or the nearest place to buy a Wimbledon towel." Supporters not at the AELTC but following the tournament will also be "offered an improved experience this year." Wimbledon 2017 will "see the launch of automated highlights packages," generated using IBM Watson and other video and audio technologies. An artificial intelligence system will "pick out the key moments of the match based on analysis of crowd noise, players’ facial expressions and a knowledge of when the clutch moments like set and break points took place." There will also be a 360-degree camera on the Wimbledon practice courts to "allow supporters to watch their favourite players be put through their paces in real time" (TELEGRAPH, 6/27).
