Chinas zero-COVID policy put the Beijing Winter Olympics under some of the strictest coronavirus protocols in the world.

To tackle the challenges, the team tapped into robotic cameras and remote editing.

Getty mounted cameras in robotic rigs that can be controlled remotely.

How robots and remote-editing helped photograph the 2022 Winter Olympics

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Therobotsworked alongside people on the ground.

Another new technology for Beijing 2022 was remote live-editing.

This picture taken with a robotic camera shows Chinas Ling Ahi (R) and Chinas Fan Suyuan (L) strategizing around the house during the mixed doubles round robin session 10 game of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games curling competition between Great Britain and China at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing on February 6, 2022. (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)

Gettys software transferred photosviaFTPover a virtual LAN and onto remote editors around the world.

The total process of sending images from cameras to customers and websites took around 30 seconds.

One technology that could play a bigger role in future Olympic Games is AI.

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The techniques still require human validation for now, but they could prove useful long after the pandemic ends.

Story byThomas Macaulay

Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.

He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.

SHIJINGSHAN, CHINA - FEBRUARY 15: Laurie Blouin of Canada during the Big Air Final on day 11 of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games at the Big Air Shougang on February 15, 2022 in Shijingshan, China (Photo by Iris van den Broek/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.

He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.

Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 20: Ivan Fedotov #28 of Team ROC stops a shot by Harri Pesonen #82 of Team Finland in the first period during the Men’s Ice Hockey Gold Medal match between Team Finland and Team ROC on Day 16 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Indoor Stadium on February 20, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Matt Slocum - Pool/Getty Images)

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ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 05: A robot coffee maker prepares a beverage at Zhangjiakou train station on February 5, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 16: A robot is seen in the National Aquatics Centre during Day 12 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on on February 16, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 21: An airport staff member in a hazmat suit works at the Beijing Capital International Airport on February 21, 2022 in Beijing, China. Officials, athletes, and media have started to leave Beijing after the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. (Photo by Annice Lyn/Getty Images)