Mizuno develops infrared-resistant fabric to prevent athletes from being photographed secretly, to be used in uniforms at the Paris Olympics
In recent years, there have been many cases of female athletes being photographed for sexual purposes at sporting events and other venues, and then disseminated on the Internet. As a countermeasure, sports manufacturer Mizuno has announced that it has created a fabric with infrared absorbing properties. It has also been reported that some athletes will wear uniforms made of this fabric at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Mizuno develops infrared-blocking fabric to protect athletes from being photographed | Mizuno Corporation
Paris 2024: New materials for combat voyeurism in women's sport
Japan's Olympic athletes will wear outfits designed to block infrared cameras - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/26/24186660/olympics-athletes-mizuno-privacy-photography-paris
Sports organizations and event organizers have taken measures to prevent the damage caused by secret photography, such as calling for people to take pictures at the venue and imposing restrictions on photography. However, due to the increasing sophistication of photography equipment, it is said that it is difficult to completely control photography within the venue and completely eradicate the damage caused by secret photography.
In recent years, there have also been cases of scammers using infrared technology, such as those used in night vision goggles and thermal cameras, to take surreptitious photos of athletes' underwear and bodies underneath their uniforms.
As a countermeasure, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) has set up a form to report social media posts and web posts that are sexually-oriented and hurtful to athletes. In fact, when the Tokyo Olympics are held in 2021, a sharp increase in the number of reports has been confirmed.
Mizuno has therefore collaborated with Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., which has expertise in functional materials, and Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd., which has expertise in composite material technology, to develop an ' infrared-blocking, see-through' fabric that protects athletes from secret infrared photography while also being stretchy enough for use in uniforms.
As a performance test of the 'infrared-blocking fabric,' Mizuno conducted a test in which the 'infrared-blocking fabric' was placed on the back of a typical uniform fabric and
The results of the experiment are below. It can be seen that the use of 'infrared-proof fabric' can almost completely prevent the penetration of the Landolt ring with both visible light and infrared cameras.
Mizuno's development team stated, 'We hope that by having top athletes use this fabric, the awareness that 'secret photography is unacceptable' will spread throughout society. Mizuno also mentioned, 'Protecting athletes from malicious secret photography and providing an environment where they can concentrate on their sport not only supports the 'mind' of the 'mind, technique, and body,' but also believes that it is an important initiative from the perspective of putting athletes first.'
In fact, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Japanese athletes in volleyball, gymnastics, table tennis, track and field, and other sports will be wearing uniforms made from the newly developed fabric, and Mizuno commented, 'By applying this newly developed 'infrared-blocking and see-through fabric' to sportswear, we hope to contribute to preventing athletes from becoming victims of infrared voyeurism.'
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