EXPLAINER: Robots and Olympics — a potent photo combination

By MALLIKA SEN
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — The five members of the International Olympic Photo Pool all employ robotics to augment their wire offerings. But good old-fashioned photography skills and instinct are integral to making them. The use of robotics began out of necessity, when there were to be no catwalks at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The technology has evolved greatly in the ensuing decade. A handful of AP photographers are trained on how to use the rigs. At the Winter Olympics in Beijing, robotics are employed at the stadium home to figure skating and short track speedskating, hockey and the Bird’s Nest.