With the EuroLeague basketball season coming to a thrilling close last week, fans attending the games were able to create the ultimate souvenir ahead of the final — a 3D personalized digital avatar in their likeness.
The experience allowed fans to create a digital copy of themselves by stepping into a device called The Portal to conduct a full-body 3D scan. EuroLeague Basketball teamed up with Athens-based, three dimensional technology firm 2B3D to offer this opportunity to fans who attended the designated fan zones ahead of the final games, referred to as the Final Four, in the host city of Istanbul, Turkey.
Ahead of fans actually getting to try the technology, notable European basketball players including Ioannis Papapetrou of Olympiacos Piraeus and Kyle Hines of CSKA Moscow created their own digital 3D copies.
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In order for The Portal’s technology to work, fans had to physically step onto a platform in the middle of the structure and could adopt any stance they liked. They then needed to stay completely still and look into a scanning monitor in front of them for 30 seconds. During this period of time, as they were frozen, two scanners which were placed directly apart from each other rotated around them to perform the full-body scan.
From there, the technology built the fan’s digital avatar, and once completed, a download link was sent to them to receive this avatar. The final 3D avatar featured digital, lifelike copies of fans on the basketball court of the Final Four at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul and could be rotated in 360 degrees. Fans who used the technology were also encouraged to use the #F4GLORY hashtag when uploading their avatar clip onto social media. The makers also provided a number of options for customizations as well as the option to 3D print the avatar too, which could be up to seven inches tall.
The Portal uses advanced 3D sensors to conduct the full-body scan and the overall design is up to ISO 9001 specifications, which refers to the requirements for a device to meet quality management system (QMS) standards that are recognised internationally.
Given that this type of technology has seen huge growth in recent years, The Portal’s rotating sensors are also fully customizable. The makers claim that any kind of 3D sensors can be mounted on its frame and also that the software is fully upgradeable to adapt to any upgrades in technology. The company also sees the product being used across a variety of applications, from digital marketing campaigns, immersive events and experiences, to health research and even online fitting rooms.
This year’s Final Four part of the tournament saw Turkish team Fenerbahce overcoming Greek rivals Olympiacos Piraeus 80-64 to win its first EuroLeague title.