Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How were the super bowl led torches synced?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 48 posts

Re: Ask HN: How were the super bowl led torches synced?

#11

Post by svec »

metaobject wrote: post #8

I'm curious how the one commercial knew the score was 21-3 ... Did they record a bunch of versions which covered most possible scores? Did Fox dub in the score right after halftime?

It was a live commercial: http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/25/news/companies/snickers-live...

Re: Ask HN: How were the super bowl led torches synced?

#14

Post by stordoff »

svec wrote: post #11
metaobject wrote: post #8

I'm curious how the one commercial knew the score was 21-3 ... Did they record a bunch of versions which covered most possible scores? Did Fox dub in the score right after halftime?

It was a live commercial: http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/25/news/companies/snickers-live...

FWIW, link above has auto-playing video with sound.

Re: Ask HN: How were the super bowl led torches synced?

#16

Post by jwatte »

mathgeek wrote: post #3
artsandsci wrote: post #2

Maybe triangulation with beacons?

This is what I would assume. They weren't perfectly synced (although very close), so it appeared to be some sort of localized position detection.

They weren't perfectly synced, so I would assume the field audience just all pressed the "go" button at the same time (indicated by handlers with headsets, presumably)

Much simpler than localization.

Re: Ask HN: How were the super bowl led torches synced?

#17

Post by tetraodonpuffer »

nmjohn wrote: post #7

I'd be tempted to think they decided to solve the logistics challenge instead of the technical one. So instead of trying to build a generic piece of hardware that detects its own position and lights up accordingly, each torch was unique (or configured via software to be unique, even if at "runtime") and configured specifically for its exact position on the field. If each torch is designed for it's own show, then the…

but didn't the torches move out when they had the sort of starfish shaped formation and they were all yellow? seems hard to believe they would've been able to coordinate the extras moving far away and then moving right back in position.

What about something low tech like: the field has a grid with infrared emitters pointing up spaced let's say 6 feet apart, when changing positions extras have to keep the torch vertically for a second for it to receive its id from the local emitter, then you simply broadcast every instruction to everybody and each light knows to look only for instructions for its id

As long as you are ok with setting up the emitters on the ground and the assumption that you can "re-sync" the position at every position change, seems like it'd be fairly straightforward

Re: Ask HN: How were the super bowl led torches synced?

#19

Post by gravypod »

fury-s12 wrote: post #4

https://github.com/jamrader/XTAudioBeacons maybe

That sounds like something out of a Bond. (Pun intended)

I'd be really interested in how far this can work effectively. Could we build solar phone booths in a forest that will flash a light (to make them easy to find) if they hear an warning siren from the rangers? Maybe also if someone is yelling in pain so they know where to call for help.

Post reply on HN