在2024年度亚洲科技创新先锋奖评选中，宋慧桐先生以其在数字化图像处理技术的突破性创新荣获“2024年度亚洲科技创新先锋奖”奖项，此奖项严苛的评选过程旨在嘉奖那些在亚洲凭借科技创新为社会进步作出卓越贡献的先锋人物，而宋慧桐先生的获奖无疑是对他二十余年来在数字化图像处理技术深耕细作的最高认可。他的成就不仅仅体现在一系列令人瞩目的软件著作权、专利和产品上，更在于他将这些技术成功应用于多个具有重大影响力的项目中，推动了行业的发展和技术进步。
在技术创新方面，宋慧桐先生主持开发的《VRCam Control全景摄影机操控系统软件》在迄今为止收视率最高的一届冬奥会暨2022年北京冬奥会中得到了重要且广泛的应用。系统通过精心搭建的约200台4K超高清摄影机，实现了对赛事现场的精确同步全景拍摄。这些摄影机分布在不同位置，共同捕捉360度的立体画面，为全球观众提供了身临其境的自由视角选择。更令人称赞的是，全景摄影系统支持实时互动体验，利用实时渲染引擎实现运动状态的可视化分析和场景模拟，观众可以通过移动设备或VR头盔等设备，模拟现场摄影机的操作，自由切换视角，享受沉浸式观赛体验。例如在冰壶、短道速滑等项目中，系统通过同步摄影机阵列捕捉动作并实现“子弹时间”特效，进行个性化回放，使观众能够细致入微地观察运动员的每一个动作，极大提升了比赛的观赏性和紧张感。此外，全景摄影系统在拍摄过程中的稳定性能，配合高效的传输能力，实现了画面的实时传输，减少了延迟，让全球观众几乎可以无时差地享受到比赛的精彩瞬间。这项技术的应用使观众得以体验到强烈的“现场感”，仿佛置身于比赛现场，这种体验是传统电视转播所无法比拟的。这种高度个性化和互动性的观赛体验，有望成为未来体育赛事转播的全新应用范式。
专利技术“基于区块链云计算的影视特效处理系统”，是宋慧桐先生的另一项重要创新。这种技术通过结合区块链技术、云计算技术与新一代高自由度的视频特效处理技术，大幅降低了复杂图像处理的各种投入和开发成本。用户可以低门槛、高效率、自由创作保密性强的作品。这种技术的应用，不仅提高了作品的制作效率和质量，更为影视制作行业开辟了新的发展路径，同时也为影视特效、虚拟现实体验、沉浸式内容制作等领域提供了有力的技术支持，顺应了当前全球市场对高质量、沉浸式内容日益增长的需求趋势。
宋慧桐先生研发的数字化图像处理技术解决方案还被广泛应用于影视拍摄，如总票房超30亿的院线电影《中国机长》《中国医生》，白玉兰“最佳摄影奖”获奖大剧《繁花》等热播大型影视作品。他深入剧组，充分利用先进的图像采集和处理技术，促进数字化工业流程的应用，协助摄影指导完美呈现艺术创作。他开发的“Atomos Neon31 4K HDR参考监视器”和“NDI Studio 4K 视音频网络编解码器嵌入式软件”，通过将数字化图像处理和网络传输等技术相融合，对图像数据进行现场采集、云处理、监视、实时回放等操作。随着数字化和人工智能技术的发展，宋慧桐先生的这些技术和产品不仅可以在提高作品的艺术效果的同时缩短拍摄周期，降低制作成本；其应用也能够为观众带来更加真实和沉浸式的观影体验，为教育和文化传播提供了新的途径。
（宋慧桐先生现场工作照）
宋慧桐先生的技术影响力不仅限于国内，他领导开发的全景相机“Z CAM V1 Pro”被NASA选为拍摄国际空间站360度虚拟现实影片时的首选设备。该相机凭借其多镜头同步、高分辨率图像处理和紧凑设计，成功克服了太空拍摄中的技术难题，为全球观众提供了前所未有的太空探索视角。随着Apple Vision Pro的发布，虚拟现实VR技术再掀热潮，在娱乐、教育、游戏等领域的应用将越来越广泛。在教育应用中，全景相机“Z CAM V1 Pro”能够提供8K全景360度或7K立体全景360度拍摄，实现高分辨率的图像处理，使得学习者能够通过VR头盔等设备进入由计算机模拟的“真实情境”中，体验逼真的真实世界重现。这种全新的呈现方式可以充分挖掘人们的创造思维能力，使学习者在自己所创造的虚拟世界中遨游，尤其适合开发青少年的科学想象力，扩展他们的思维空间，培养他们对科学的兴趣。宋慧桐先生在其发表的学术论文《VR技术在三维动画实验教学中的应用研究》中也主要探讨了这一技术方案的发展，为VR技术在教育领域的应用提供了新的思路。
（宋慧桐先生发表的论文）
宋慧桐先生此次荣获“2024年度亚洲科技创新先锋奖”，实至名归。这一奖项不仅是对他过去二十余年在数字化图像处理技术领域不懈钻研与创新的赞誉，更是对他未来持续引领行业发展的期待。他的技术成果具有开创性和重要性，无论是赛事转播、教育科普、影视制作，甚至太空探索，都留下了深刻的印记。他的创新精神和卓越成就将激励更多的科技工作者勇攀高峰，为社会发展和人类进步贡献更多的智慧与力量。我们期待着宋慧桐先生在未来的日子里，继续以科技创新为笔，书写更为壮丽的篇章，创造更多令人瞩目的辉煌。
In the 2024 Technological Innovation Pioneer Award of Asia, Mr. Song Huitong was honored with the “Technological Innovation Pioneer Award of Asia in 2024” for his groundbreaking contributions to digital image processing technology. This award, with its rigorous selection process, aims to recognize pioneers across Asia who contribute to societal progress through technological innovation. Mr.Song’s recognition highlights over two decades of dedication to advancing digital image processing, with achievements not only in impressive software copyrights, patents, and products but also in the successful application of these technologies across high-impact projects that have advanced industry standards and technology.
In terms of technological innovation, Song led the development of the “VRCam Control Panoramic Camera Control System Software”, which played a vital role in the record-breaking 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The system utilized approximately 200 4K ultra-high-definition cameras strategically positioned to capture synchronized panoramic views, offering global audiences immersive, customizable viewing angles. Notably, this panoramic system enabled real-time interactive experiences, with a live-rendering engine for visualizing and analyzing movements. Through mobile devices or VR headsets, viewers could emulate camera operations, seamlessly switch perspectives, and enjoy an immersive experience. In sports like curling and short-track speed skating, the system’s synchronized camera arrays captured motion for “bullet-time” effects, allowing personalized replays that reveal intricate athlete movements, enhancing the viewing experience and tension. With its stability during filming and high-efficiency transmission, the system minimized delays, delivering almost real-time broadcasts that traditional TV couldn’t match. This interactive and personalized viewing model could set a new standard for sports broadcasting.
Another significant innovation by Song Huitong is the patented “Film and Television Special Effects Processing Technology System Based on Blockchain Cloud Computing”. By integrating blockchain, cloud computing, and advanced video effects processing, this technology dramatically reduces the costs and development complexity of high-end image processing. Users can efficiently create secure, high-quality projects with minimal barriers, boosting production efficiency and quality in the film industry while opening new pathways for film effects, VR experiences, and immersive content production, aligning with the growing demand for high-quality, immersive global content.
Mr.Song Huitong’s digital image processing solutions are widely adopted in film production, as seen in movies like “The Captain” and “Chinese Doctors”, which grossed over ¥3 billion, and the award-winning drama “Blossoms Shanghai”. Working directly with production teams, Mr.Song leveraged advanced image capture and processing technology to integrate digital workflows and support cinematographers in capturing artistic visions. His products, such as the “Atomos Neon31 4K HD Reference Monitor-Recorder” and the software solution “NDI Studio 4K Video and Audio Network Codec Embedded Software”, combine digital image processing and network transmission technology to facilitate on-site data capture, cloud processing, monitoring, and real-time playback. These innovations not only shorten production cycles and lower costs but also enhance the artistic quality of projects, offering audiences a more immersive experience and opening new possibilities in education and cultural dissemination.
(Image of Mr. Song Huitong working on-site)
Mr.Song’s technological influence extends beyond China. His Panoramic Camera “Z CAM V1 Pro” was chosen by NASA as the preferred equipment for 360-degree VR filming on the International Space Station. With multi-lens synchronization, high-resolution image processing, and a compact design, this camera overcame the technical challenges of space photography, providing an unprecedented view of space exploration to audiences worldwide. The recent release of the Apple Vision Pro has reignited interest in VR technology, and its applications in education, entertainment, and gaming are set to expand rapidly. In educational settings, the Z CAM V1 Pro offers 8K panoramic 360-degree or 7K stereoscopic 360-degree shooting capabilities, creating high-resolution images that allow learners to enter realistic virtual environments, stimulating creativity and curiosity in young minds. Mr.Song’s academic paper, Research on the Application of VR Technology in 3D Animation Experiment Teaching, explores the development of these solutions, contributing valuable insights to the use of VR in education.
(Image of Mr. Song’s published paper)
Mr.Song Huitong’s “Technological Innovation Pioneer Award of Asia in 2024” is a well-deserved recognition of over 20 years of relentless pursuit and innovation in digital image processing technology. This award celebrates his past achievements and looks forward to his continued leadership in the industry. His contributions have left a lasting impact on sports broadcasting, education, film production, and even space exploration. His innovative spirit and exceptional achievements will inspire more technologists to reach new heights, contributing knowledge and expertise to societal development and human progress. We look forward to seeing Song Huitong’s continued technological innovations, marking ever more impressive achievements and contributing to a brighter future.
