Worldwide Olympic Partners helping to make Tokyo 2020 most innovative Olympic Games ever 

The Olympic Games have always been a catalyst and showcase for innovation, and when Tokyo last hosted the event, in 1964, it saw satellites used to relay live pictures to a global audience for the first time, as well as the debuts of close-pickup microphones and slow-motion replays. 

Now, the Worldwide Olympic Partners – in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and a host of other stakeholders – are ensuring that Tokyo 2020 will be the next step in the Olympic innovation journey, with cutting-edge initiatives transforming the Games and showcasing new technology across five key areas: mobility, infrastructure, event operations, fan engagement and sustainability.

Mobility

As the official worldwide mobility partner of the Olympic Games, Toyota has provided a diverse range of innovative mobility solutions, including autonomous vehicles for transporting athletes and officials around the Olympic Village and Accessible People Movers to help those with special mobility needs travel within event venues. Toyota has also introduced Field Support Robots to retrieve sports equipment quickly and safely on the field of play, alleviating the burden on operational staff.

To aid visitors with transporting their luggage upon arrival in Japan, Panasonic, working with local partners JTB and Yamato Holdings, has developed a QR-based system that tracks and delivers luggage from the airport direct to the passengers’ destination. This service frees travellers from the hassle of carrying their luggage with them, and is a valuable legacy for Japan’s tourism industry, with the country receiving among the most inbound visitors in the world.