For over 100 years, since the first modern Olympics in 1896, athletes have been trading metal lapel pins at the Olympic Village to foster diplomacy and friendship among nations.
During the recent Winter Olympics at the Milano Olympic Village, this tradition received a technological update with the launch of the Intelligent Pin Trading Station. This innovative facility uses the Qwen Large Language Model (LLM) to enable athletes to trade pins through a mystery-box experience.
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Athletes can engage with the trading station using their native language and via voice and gesture commands. A high-precision robotic arm uses computer vision to select an appropriate match from the pool of pins given by athletes in the village.
By overcoming the language barrier with AI, this centuries-old tradition’s “soul” has been preserved. Using AI to overcome a historic barrier offers a valuable masterclass in fusing human values, such as mastery of craft and social legacy, with tomorrow’s technology tools.
