Qatar Is Using Artificial Intelligence To Help Control Crowds & Climate At The World Cup
In Qatar, a pioneering technology hub has been built that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to keep an eye on the crowd, predict crowd swells, and control stadium temperatures.
The “connected stadium” concept will be used for the first time at a World Cup
More than 100 technicians will be on duty round-the-clock at the Aspire Command and Control Center, closely monitoring images that flash across their displays via 200,000 integrated units from 22,000 security cameras scattered throughout all eight World Cup stadiums.
The technical staff at the Qatar centre thinks they can forecast crowd trends thanks to data aggregation.
Because they are aware of the specific number of attendees expected based on ticket sales, arrival time, entry locations, or even the flow of people at any one time, they can predict a crowd rush.
If there are more than 100 people in a single area, the specialists can spot bottlenecks, keep an eye on how the entry gates are working, and ensure a smooth flow of people into and out of the stadium.
The audiences viewing the World Cup 2022 matches in Doha will be shown on hundreds of screens, with over 1.2 million World Cup attendees expected.
Experts in cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and transportation will be stationed at the centre together with representatives from FIFA and Qatar.
