NAB 2016: Weather Company enhances augmented reality, analytics for broadcasters


Details

Michelle Clancy

| 14 April 2016




The Weather Company is launching an interactive presentation tool and introducing major enhancements to the company’s augmented reality and analytics solutions.



weatherNo matter the conditions outside, when consumers need their local weather and traffic updates, they seek actionable information that will help them prepare for or plan their days, says the company, and the idea is to allow broadcasters to provide the critical planning and potentially life-saving information.

“We have successfully used the Weather Company’s Max platform for nearly six years and seen a tremendous increase in engagement levels. Some of the newer products have allowed us to enhance how we bring the weather story to life across all platforms,” said Kevin Eubank, meteorologist, KSL TV. “The Weather Company is an industry leader when it comes to innovative cross-platform weather data and visualisation solutions. What makes it even better is that all of the applications seamlessly integrate into the existing Max platform, making it easier for me to provide my audience with the information they need.”

At NAB 2016, the company will reveal Max Connect, an application that enables presenters to interact with augmented reality elements in real time while continuously facing the audience. An iPad-based app, Max Connect removes the need for presenters to be tethered to one location, and enables them to maintain control over their show as they move freely around the studio or report remotely from location during breaking weather events. Via Max Connect, presenters will have quick access to any data layer or tool - allowing the weather team to more naturally telestrate and control their shows without having to use more cumbersome hand tracking or a touch screen. In addition, since Max Connect offers a familiar mobile design, presenters are empowered to confidently execute their shows at all times - even during severe weather when speed is critical.

It has also added virtual sets to Max Reality, a solution that uses advanced augmented reality technology to create dynamic, 3D visualisations of storms and atmospheric events. The virtual sets can be easily integrated using the existing chromakey technology and familiar Max workflow that the presenter has already invested in, and will allow presenters to quickly and easily pull together augmented reality visualisations during severe weather.

The company also added social posting to Max Engage, an analytics engine that monitors weather events and serves up the content to tell the right weather story to the impacted mobile audience using geo-fenced push notifications. Meteorologists will be able to publish concise and contextual hyper-local weather and traffic information directly to social platforms on a daily basis, which is critical for increasing engagement on other easily monetised platforms like web and mobile. And when there is severe weather, this solution will provide meteorologists with a fast and automated way to send geo-targeted customised push alerts to mobile users who are in the path of impending destructive weather.

“Our expanded product offerings for the Max Ecosystem will fundamentally shift the way weather is presented across all content platforms,” said Mark Gildersleeve, president of business solutions, Weather Company. “Through innovations to Max Reality, we’ve made it easier for presenters to deliver immersive experiences that bring the audience into significant weather events, conveying the impact in a way that’s never been done before. And, with Max Engage, stations now can deliver the most important content to audiences wherever they are, and right when they need it most."