Technical development of equipment presented, a unique spectacle in the telecast of Diving events from the Georgia Tech. Centre during the Atlanta Olympic Games, 1996.

As 209 million people are estimated to have viewed the Games coverage from the NBC Television network. Every individual shall have his own preferences. The NBC coverage presented a hither-to-fore unseen view of the Diving Events. The co-operation of FINA (the governing body for the International sport of Diving): the USA Diving, and the Atlanta Olympic Broadcasting, resulted in a unique presentation. The entire rig had been custom invented by Garret Brown, a private television engineer who had earlier introduced the " MOBY CAM " which had been used at the Barcelona Olympic Games. This camera moved along the floor of the pool, and captured swimming and water-polo, from below the competitors. The SPORTS EMMY Awards are presented every year by the National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences, U. S. A. These awards are in recognition of excellence in a variety of areas of Sports Television. For 1996, this award has been presented to the " DIVE-CAM " which gave the viewers a never- before- seen look at the dramatic speed and precision of diving in both full speed and slow motion.

The unique features of the DIVE-CAM Vertical Tracking Camera are:-

Construction: 53-foot custom aluminium-extrusion mast in five stage bolt-together- sections with: Three Extruded internal tracks for Camera Car Wheels. Sealed Smoked Lexan window above the water line, with Clear Lexan window (four inches wide). Custom stainless steel swivel base with weights. Remote pan servo-motor (entire tube pans). Camera: Folded three chip Hitachi Camera, with zoom, remote tilt, iris, focus, digital paint controls. Gravity dropping rig, with: Flaked ultra-limp dropping line, with one-way bunji deceleration. Joystick control station and paintbox.

DIVE CAM Operation: The " pilot " hauls the camera car to the top of the tube and releases the line at the instant the diver's torso starts to descend. The line flakes out of its basket until the pre-set bitter and engages the one-way pulley and the network of bunji cords decelerates the camera to a stop, nine feet below the water line. The Camera operator has approximately 1.4 seconds during which he aims the camera with a joystick (which tilts the three pound camera as it falls), and pans the entire 700-pound tube to keep the diver in the frame. A separate control adjusts the 10:1 Zoom. A remote box in the truck adjusts iris and paints the camera. Digital Camera control signals, video signal and power pass between operator and camera by means of a separate flying loop of seven-conductor electrical cable that runs down the inside of the tube and loops back up to the falling camera. The camera car and camera fit within the tube with approximately 1/16-inch clearance from the lexan window. The camera car passes the water's surface with the diver at about 33 mph. This system is now becoming increasingly popular and has been duplicated at some other international competitions including the Sydney Olympics in 2000 A.D."