Samsung Electronics, Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment and Computing Equipment category, is bringing cutting-edge mobile technology and Olympic inspiration to the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020. In addition to its Olympic Showcase, Samsung is connecting the future generation of Olympic athletes with current Olympian Dina Asher-Smith to defy barriers to achieve meaningful progress and push beyond all limits with an inspirational panel session.

“Samsung has supported the Olympic Movement for over 30 years, and we are proud to continue our legacy by empowering this generation of athletes to ‘Do What You Can’t’ spirit at the Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020,” said Stephanie Choi, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Marketing Team of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “From Lausanne to Tokyo, this Olympic year holds many exciting opportunities for Samsung to showcase innovation and change the way participants experience the Games through mobile products and services with 5G connectivity.”

Throughout the Youth Olympic Games, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in Samsung’s groundbreaking technology at the Samsung Olympic Games Showcase located in the Yodli Park. Visitors will be able to experience:

• 5G Galaxy Smartphones: Samsung’s Olympic Games Showcase invites visitors to experience the most recent editions of Samsung’s 5G smartphones, including the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note10, Galaxy Fold and Galaxy A90.
• Creative Experiences: Visitors will be also able to interact with the creative capabilities of Samsung mobile technology, such as Galaxy smartphone cameras, S Pen and VR.
• Olympic Games Pins: Visitors will have the opportunity to receive special Samsung Olympic Games pins that embody the value of the Youth Olympic Games.

To further empower connection and inspire the next generation of Olympic athletes, Samsung will also host a special panel discussion as a part of the ’Chat with Champions’ series, co-hosted with the International Olympic Committee. Athletes competing in the Youth Olympic Games are invited to learn more on building their personal brand, and to hear inspirational stories that will keep them motivated as their careers develop – on and off the field of play. Panelists will include:

• Stephanie Choi, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Marketing Team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung, who will provide insights about Samsung brand and her career journey as an industry leader and innovator;
• Dina Asher-Smith, World Champion sprinter, Team GB Olympic Medalist, and one of Team Galaxy athletes, who will share her story of defying barriers to become the fastest British woman in recorded history;
• Janosch Nietlispach, Six-time Kickboxing World Champion turned social media influencer, who will talk about how he became an athlete influencer, interacting with fans on social platforms;
• Zac Farrer, Global Partnership EMEA, Facebook, who will share tips on how athletes can grow their personal brand and expand their communities on social media.

Participating athletes are invited to visit the special ‘Chat with Champions’ session at the Yodli Café at 8pm on Jan 12th to meet other athletes and share encouraging messages to support one another.

“Samsung has been an integral part of elevating the Olympic Games’ fan experience through their innovative technology and powering lifelong memories for athletes and fans alike,” said Timo Lumme, Managing Director of the IOC Television and Marketing Services. “As we celebrate what the future of the Olympic Games will look like for future generations in Lausanne 2020, it’s only natural that Samsung is helping make that connection.”

As a longstanding Olympic partner, Samsung will continue its support for athletes defying barriers beyond the Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Olympic Games

Samsung has been a Worldwide Olympic Partner since the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998. For over 20 years, the company’s industry-leading wireless communications equipment has enabled fans and athletes around the world to stay connected and share in the journey to achieve greatness of sportsmanship. For Tokyo 2020, Samsung will help spread the spirit of the Olympic Games through proprietary innovations that are shaping the digital future of the Olympic Games. Samsung’s commitment to the Olympic Movement will continue through to Los Angeles 2028 in the wireless communications equipment and computing equipment category, including the activation of the Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and 5G features of that equipment.

1. Faster, more transparent machine learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) will dramatically expand within the next 12 months. It is already changing the way people interact with a number of applications, platforms and services across both consumer and enterprise environments.

In the next couple of years, there will be new approaches on two fronts. Firstly, less data will be required to train an algorithm. This means an image recognition system that currently needs 100,000 images to learn how to operate will only need a small fraction of that number. This will make it easier to quickly implement powerful machine learning systems.

Secondly, the technology will become more transparent. Advances in technology will mean researchers will be able to open the black box of AI and more clearly explain why a particular model made the decision it did. Currently, a lot of academia and start-ups are putting much effort into understanding how a machine makes decisions, how the models are learning from the data and what are the parameters of data that influence the models.

Scott Phoenix, The CEO of Vicarious, makes a presentation about human-level intelligent robots at the Samsung CEO Summit last October in San Francisco. (source: www.vicarious.com)

Samsung plans to build an AI platform under a common architecture that will provide the deepest understanding of usage context and behaviors. This is one of the core strategies to make the user-centric AI ecosystem. Samsung NEXT has also invested in various companies innovating in the field, including Vicarious, a company developing neuroscience-based artificial general intelligence (AGI) for robots for simpler deployment with faster training and Bonsai, which develops an AI platform that empowers enterprises to create, deploy and manage AI models, and FloydHub, a start-up that has developed a cloud service for machine learning.

2. New AR and VR form factors and viewing models

Both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are increasingly being relied upon to create more immersive worlds where technology enables users to get more hands-on with virtual overlays and environments. In the case of AR, devices won’t remove us from our world, but will rather enable us to have objects appear as if they were really there.

2018 will witness more developers embracing AR, starting to make interesting applications moving beyond the world of gaming. One such example is a furniture company planning to make its full catalogue available in AR. Samsung NEXT has invested in companies like 8i, which provides a platform that enables true 3D (fully volumetric) video capture of people, allowing viewers to walk around as real humans in VR and AR.

8i’s Holo augmented reality application enables digital recreation of people and characters to be seen in the real world through a smartphone camera. (source: www.8i.com)

Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) will see foundational technology improvements in the quality of their displays, sensors, and materials. In 2018, there will be a lot of excitement in the industry in the form of M&A and investment activities. “For VR, we will see more standalone devices, falling between existing HMDs powered by mobile phones, and high-end hardware connected to powerful PCs. This will enable more people to experience the technology in new ways,” said Ajay Singh, Samsung NEXT Ventures.

3. Blockchain to look beyond cryptocurrencies

“In 2017, we saw blockchain technology increasingly applied to develop unbanked countries and communities,” said Raymond Liao from Ventures. “With underpinnings in peer-to-peer transactions, blockchain has the power to democratize transactions by removing the middleman and reducing the needless fees that so frequently hamstring those deprived of banking services.”

Cryptocurrency is the dominant killer application for blockchain up to now. However, we will see blockchain entrepreneurs and decentralization idealists, freshly financed by token sales, marching to either empower consumers against the one-sided data monetization paradigm, or break up enterprise data silos in, e.g., supply chain and healthcare industries.

Samsung’s focus on security will be an advantage for the company as far as blockchain is concerned. The elephant in the room around blockchain is that the entire technology is only as secure as the users’ keys. Samsung’s technology enables enterprise customers to be assured of a certain level of security in how their employees interact with their blockchain-based apps. Furthermore, Samsung NEXT includes in its portfolio companies like HYPR that provides enterprise with enhanced security and user experience using blockchain and Filament that secures Internet of Things (IoT) devices with their blockchain protocol.

4. IoT to put power in the hands of healthcare patients

Healthcare is an industry that is ripe for disruption. We will begin to see the power of IoT in healthcare with the emergence of inexpensive, continuous ways to capture and share our data, as well as derive insights that inform and empower patients. Moreover, wearable adoption will create a massive stream of real-time health data beyond the doctor’s office, which will significantly improve diagnosis, compliance and treatment. In short, a person’s trip to the doctor will start to look different – but for the right reasons.

Samsung is using IoT and AI to improve efficiency in healthcare. Samsung NEXT has invested in startups in this area, such as Glooko which helps people with diabetes by uploading the patient’s glucose data to the cloud to make it easier to access and analyse them. Another noteworthy investment in this space from Samsung NEXT is HealthifyMe, an Indian company whose mobile app connects AI-enabled human coaches with people seeking diet and exercise advice.

(source: www.healthifyme.com)

Samsung is uniquely positioned among tech companies in that it already has a significant business in healthcare. The company has solutions in wearables, hospital screens and tablets, and X-ray and MRI machines. By tying all these solutions together and cooperating with other partners, it will enable patients to manage their health from their own devices.

5. IoT breaks free from homes and enters the city

In the next couple of years, one should expect to see IoT transform urban environments thanks to the combination of learnings from smart homes and buildings, and the proliferation of 5G. Transformation will happen in waves, starting with innovation that requires fewer regulations. It is expected to impact the daily life of the community in meaningful ways, such as parking solutions, mapping, and bike share schemes.

Samsung NEXT already has various IoT investments including Stae for data-driven urban planning, and Swiftly that provides enterprise software to help transit agencies and cities improve urban mobility.

The company has its own IoT platform SmartThings—an acquisition that came through the Samsung NEXT team. The platform is connected to ARTIK for enterprises and HARMAN Ignite’s connected car platform, creating a comprehensive IoT ecosystem. Based on its progress on IoT, Samsung showcased its vision for ‘Samsung City 2020’ at this year’s CES, which is on its way to realization.

To celebrate its eleventh Olympic Games and to honor its twenty-year long commitment to The Olympic Partner (TOP) program, Samsung Electronics – Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment and Computing Equipment category – proudly delivered unique mobile experiences through innovative technologies during the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.  Together with the Olympic Movement, Samsung focused on spreading its shared values of achieving the extraordinary and inspiring others to ‘Do What You Can’t.’

Various VR experience zones powered by the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition featured the exhilaration of winter sports including Winter Ride, Skeleton and Snowboarding, making the Samsung Olympic Showcases a must for all Olympic Games fans. The ‘Mission to Space VR: A Moon for All Mankind’ allowed visitors to experience lunar gravity for the first time through a space mission made possible with innovative 4D VR technology.

“As the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 come to an end, we’re proud to know that Samsung technology powered lifelong memories for Olympic athletes and fans worldwide,” said Younghee Lee, CMO and Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics. “I’m thrilled that Samsung’s meaningful technological advancements enabled a more enjoyable, exciting and connected experience for all.”

The Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 allowed Samsung’s newest advancements to empower people through state-of-art technology. By the numbers, Samsung’s milestones included the following highlight

SPREADING THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT

• 4,000+ PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition were presented to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to support athletes
• 1,500 torchbearers spread the passion and hope during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Torch Relay
• 149,353 specially-designed Samsung PyeongChang 2018 pins were distributed to Samsung Olympic Showcase visitors
• 10 lucky pin-collectors won the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition and two grand prize winners won two tickets to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

CREATING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS THROUGH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

• 435,878 athletes and fans visited nine Samsung Olympic Showcases for interactive activities powered by 2,157 Samsung products
• 163,121 fans escaped the real-world to experience the exhilaration of eleven VR attractions such as going down the fresh mountain slopes while snowboarding, and careening down the skeleton – all VR was powered by the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition
• 150 calls were made by Olympians at the two Samsung Olympic Showcases @ the Olympic Villages – adding up to 700 minutes
• 1,282,904 downloads of PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games Official Mobile Application which was developed together with POCOG (The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games) featuring real-time updates, athlete information, medal standings and Olympic Winter Games records

Through its ongoing partnership with the IOC, Samsung strives to foster the best possible environment for athletes and fans to create, capture and share lifelong memories of their Olympic Games experiences. As part of this collaboration, the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 provided Samsung with a platform to demonstrate a future full of possibilities by displaying its ever-evolving leadership in the mobile technology space.  Samsung is also an official sponsor of the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 taking place from March 9^th to 18^th, during which the brand will continue diverse activities including the Samsung Paralympic Showcases amongst others.

From the latest in VR/AR, IoT, healthcare and more, Samsung selected the seven new startups for investment based on their business potential and contribution to innovation:

• Hyperity – A VR/AR solution to remotely control smartphones and desktops through virtual screens without a physical monitor.

• Linkface– A unique VR solution that can detect eye and facial muscle movement and let users directly control VR content.

• PIXELRO – A smartphone-based solution to provide a vision correction solution to presbyopia, replacing regular eyeglasses.

• BlueFeel – A personal portable air purifier that doesn’t block the user’s mouth, developed as a response to users who dislike the discomfort of regular dust masks..

• Defind – A smart shoe matching service that carries out a 3D scan of a customer’s foot to enable them to buy shoes that fit perfectly

• Soft Launch – A social media-based recommendation service for restaurants and stores aiming to combat fake reviews, and developed by employees from multiple Samsung affiliates

• 1Drop – An ultra low-cost blood glucose measurement solution using LED and the camera of a smartphone

A Collaborative Approach

The prospective entrepreneurs were provided with intensive training and preparation on key aspects of running a business with the help of experts before launching their startups. They also engaged in various talk sessions with former colleagues with success spinning off businesses to obtain know-how.

“We have provided the support to establish 32 C-Lab alumni startups over the past two years and based on our valuable past experience, we are planning to build up a more profound and actionable program to nurture employees’ ideas and launch new startups,” said Jaiil Lee, Vice President and Head of the Creativity & Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics.

C-Lab alumni startups have performed well in recent years, securing additional global funding, increasing company valuation and opening up unexpected business opportunities. For example, 360-degree camera manufacturer Link Flow started as a business for travellers in their 30’s and 40’s, but after being spotted by the security maintenance industry, underwent further iterations and will be unveiled as an official product at this upcoming CES 2018.

Created in December 2012, the C-Lab is an in-house startup incubation program that nurtures a creative organizational culture and innovative ideas among Samsung employees. The spin-off policy was introduced in 2015 and since its inception C-Lab alumni startups have been striving to open a new startup ecosystem.

On August 17, fans from over 50 countries put on their Samsung Gear VR headset to witness the spectacular sights and sounds of Coldplay’s ‘A Head Full of Dreams Tour,’ live from Soldier Field Stadium, Chicago. The concert’s full 360 VR broadcast gave Samsung Gear VR users around the world an immersive viewing experience that has never been seen before.

Samsung’s VR Live Pass project kicked off June 3 at UFC 212, where the highly-anticipated featherweight clash between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway was broadcast live in VR, marking the first live VR broadcast event for Samsung and the UFC. The project continued in July at X Games 2017 in Minneapolis, where adrenaline-filled BMX and skateboarding competitions featuring the likes of Chad Kerley, Jagger Eaton and Jimmy Wilkins were also broadcast live to Gear VR users.

Coldplay’s concert in August was the final destination for Samsung’s VR Live Passproject in 2017. Samsung held a number of special viewing events across multiple countries, including Canada, Brazil, and the United States, leading up to the Live Nation concert to help drive user engagement for the momentous event.  

At Samsung 837 in New York, Coldplay fans donning Gear VR headsets enjoy an immersive, 360-degree concert experience

Samsung showcased the 360 VR broadcast in locations around the world, including its Galaxy Life Montreal interactive space in Canada

Fans take in the spectacular show while relaxing on the lawn at The Americana at Brand in Los Angeles

Coldplay and the Gear VR make for a memorable date for a couple viewing the show at Kinoplex Itaim in São Paulo, Brazil

Samsung’s VR Live Pass marked a special moment in time for the industry, as Gear VR owners were able to strap on their headsets, connect to the Samsung VR app and enjoy world-class entertainment as if they were there in the front row, regardless of their actual physical location.

Gear VR users who were unable to catch these events live can still enjoy replays and highlights from them through the Samsung VR app and the Samsung VR website until the end of October 2017.