October 12, 2023
TOKYO – An AI scoring system jointly developed by Fujitsu Ltd. and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has been officially introduced for all 10 of the gymnastic apparatuses, Fujitsu has announced, and its use is being eyed for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Judging Support System (JSS) captures gymnasts’ movements with a camera and uses AI to evaluate their performance based on image analysis. An earlier version of the system used sensors, but video images are now used to allow it to more accurately grasp the athletes’ movements.
Also, the latest version does not require prior measurement of the athletes’ body shape, which was necessary for the sensor-based system. It is therefore expected to improve the accuracy of judging, according to the company.
In recent years, the performance and skills of gymnasts have become more complex and advanced, making it difficult for judges to swiftly assess the number of somersaults and twists and the accuracy of the moves.
By assisting judges, the JSS is expected to help ensure fairness and transparency in evaluating performances.
Fujitsu and the FIG began developing the JSS in 2017. The system was used for some events at the 2019 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships and at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
At this year’s world championships, the system was introduced for three more events — the men’s parallel bars and the men’s and women’s floor exercise, thereby covering all 10 apparatuses of the sport.
The FIG plans to release a series of guidelines from November onward on the details of how gymnastic technique is judged using the JSS.