Overhead and on target: AP photographers use robotic and remote cameras for striking Olympic photos

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Overhead and on target: AP photographers use robotic and remote cameras for striking Olympic photos

2026-02-19 19:46 Last Updated At：02-20 12:28

Images in this gallery were captured using robotic and remote camera technology by Associated Press photographers. In the weeks leading up to the Milan Cortina Olympics, a three-person robotics team spent countless hours installing and testing systems in remote venues, positioning cameras in places once out of reach. It marked the team’s first time operating across such distant and widely spread locations. At the hockey venue, photographers crawled into the goal to position and test a remote camera, refining the angle for the shot.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

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Kazakhstan's Elizaveta Golubeva warms up before the women's speedskating 1,000-meters final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea of the United States compete during the pairs figure skating long program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy's goalkeeper Gabriella Durante fails to save the puck as Japan's Akane Shiga scores her side's second goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

United States' Luc Violette and Aidan Oldenburg sweep ahead of a stone during a men's curling round robin match against China at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Kaori Sakamoto of Japan competes during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Team Netherlands leads the men's 5000m relay short track speed skating followed by South Korea, Japan and Belgium at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy players before during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Italy and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands celebrates the gold after the women's 1,000 meters short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy's goalkeeper Damian Clara fails to make a save during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between Finland and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France compete during the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

United States's Casey Dawson, right, Emery Lehman, center, and Ethan Cepuran compete during the speed skating men's team pursuit final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Italy's Amos Mosaner delivers a stone against the United States during a curling mixed doubles round robin session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Switzerland's Alina Muller scores her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Finland and Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, Pool)

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan reacts as he competes during the men's free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Sarah Warren of the United States takes the start of the speed skating women's 500m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the figure skating men's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

More Images

Kazakhstan's Elizaveta Golubeva warms up before the women's speedskating 1,000-meters final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea of the United States compete during the pairs figure skating long program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy's goalkeeper Gabriella Durante fails to save the puck as Japan's Akane Shiga scores her side's second goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

United States' Luc Violette and Aidan Oldenburg sweep ahead of a stone during a men's curling round robin match against China at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Kaori Sakamoto of Japan competes during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Team Netherlands leads the men's 5000m relay short track speed skating followed by South Korea, Japan and Belgium at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy players before during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Italy and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands celebrates the gold after the women's 1,000 meters short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy's goalkeeper Damian Clara fails to make a save during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between Finland and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France compete during the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

United States's Casey Dawson, right, Emery Lehman, center, and Ethan Cepuran compete during the speed skating men's team pursuit final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Italy's Amos Mosaner delivers a stone against the United States during a curling mixed doubles round robin session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Switzerland's Alina Muller scores her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Finland and Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, Pool)

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan reacts as he competes during the men's free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Sarah Warren of the United States takes the start of the speed skating women's 500m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the figure skating men's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Wildfires near Madrid and in southwestern France force tens of thousands to evacuate

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s government declared a national emergency Friday after wildfires forced the evacuation of some 10,000 people in the central region of Madrid, while in southern France tens of thousands fled their homes to escape two major blazes.

“We are experiencing a dramatic situation, not just in several Spanish regions but also in neighboring countries,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X.

“My solidarity with all the people who have been affected and been forced to leave their homes.”

The national emergency in Spain means that the nation’s interior ministry, which controls police and security forces, has taken charge of overseeing the firefighting efforts by Spain’s regions as they struggle to battle multiple blazes that are being fanned by a heatwave. Another large fire in the central province of Ávila prompted national authorities to step in.

The regional government of Madrid, which spans a wide area around the capital city, said 10,000 people had been evacuated from different villages as multiple fires raged out of control late on Thursday.

“In my 60 years I have never seen something like this in my village, I have never seen fire of these dimensions,” Francisco Martínez, the mayor of Burgohondo, whose 1,500 residents were preventively evacuated, told Spain’s national broadcaster TVE.

Spain's military emergency brigades and national firefighting brigades have mobilized to support regional firefighting units and water-dumping aircraft.

Spain has seen an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) already burned this year, over four times the amount of terrain that was burned through the first half of 2025.

This year's fires include Spain's second-largest ever fire that consumed some 320 square kilometers (120 square miles) in recent days in the province of Guadalajara north of Madrid. Thirteen people were also killed in a fire in southern Spain earlier this month, the deadliest fire in recent memory for Spain.

Sánchez called on Wednesday for a pact between political parties to fight climate change that he said is key to adapting to a more fire-prone climate.

Temperatures are expected to top 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) in parts of Spain, with a high of 44 C (111 F) in Almeria in the southeast.

Authorities in southwestern France on Friday ordered more mass evacuations on the Atlantic coast because of large wildfires. An estimated 40,000 people have been driven from their homes over the past two days in the region.

More than 87 square kilometers (34 square miles) have been burned by the blaze that has been raging since Wednesday near the touristic Cap Ferret peninsula. Some people were forced to flee by boat.

France requested the activation of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism.

“We will soon be able to rely on reinforcements including two Croatian Canadair firefighting aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft, and two heavy-lift Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.

Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as quickly as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Globally, 2025 was the third-hottest year on record, bringing severe heat waves across Europe. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness especially in southeastern Europe, making the region more vulnerable to health impacts and wildfires.

Petrequin reported from Paris.

Overhead and on target: AP photographers use robotic and remote cameras for striking Olympic photos

Overhead and on target: AP photographers use robotic and remote cameras for striking Olympic photos

Kazakhstan's Elizaveta Golubeva warms up before the women's speedskating 1,000-meters final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea of the United States compete during the pairs figure skating long program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy's goalkeeper Gabriella Durante fails to save the puck as Japan's Akane Shiga scores her side's second goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

United States' Luc Violette and Aidan Oldenburg sweep ahead of a stone during a men's curling round robin match against China at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Kaori Sakamoto of Japan competes during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Team Netherlands leads the men's 5000m relay short track speed skating followed by South Korea, Japan and Belgium at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy players before during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Italy and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands celebrates the gold after the women's 1,000 meters short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy's goalkeeper Damian Clara fails to make a save during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between Finland and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France compete during the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

United States's Casey Dawson, right, Emery Lehman, center, and Ethan Cepuran compete during the speed skating men's team pursuit final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Italy's Amos Mosaner delivers a stone against the United States during a curling mixed doubles round robin session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Switzerland's Alina Muller scores her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Finland and Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, Pool)

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan reacts as he competes during the men's free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Sarah Warren of the United States takes the start of the speed skating women's 500m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the figure skating men's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Kazakhstan's Elizaveta Golubeva warms up before the women's speedskating 1,000-meters final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea of the United States compete during the pairs figure skating long program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy's goalkeeper Gabriella Durante fails to save the puck as Japan's Akane Shiga scores her side's second goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

United States' Luc Violette and Aidan Oldenburg sweep ahead of a stone during a men's curling round robin match against China at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Kaori Sakamoto of Japan competes during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Team Netherlands leads the men's 5000m relay short track speed skating followed by South Korea, Japan and Belgium at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy players before during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Italy and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands celebrates the gold after the women's 1,000 meters short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Italy's goalkeeper Damian Clara fails to make a save during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between Finland and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France compete during the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

United States's Casey Dawson, right, Emery Lehman, center, and Ethan Cepuran compete during the speed skating men's team pursuit final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Italy's Amos Mosaner delivers a stone against the United States during a curling mixed doubles round robin session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Switzerland's Alina Muller scores her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Finland and Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, Pool)

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan reacts as he competes during the men's free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Sarah Warren of the United States takes the start of the speed skating women's 500m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the figure skating men's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

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