Affordable RFID Timing Solution for Marathon
Although RFID timing has automated the counting of races for marathon and large-scale track and field events, the cost of this technology may exceed the modest budget of many common and smaller community 5km events. Timing system company Agee Race Timing and RFID technology company SensThys are selling their solutions for small and medium-sized events and game timing companies, enabling customers to quickly build RFID-based timing systems.
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RaceKit Pro’s solution provides a toolkit that organizers can use on the field. It contains four tripods, a reader and antenna hardware for SensThys, and Agee game timing software to capture and manage RFID timing tags read by contestants. This kit is designed as a small single and affordable hardware and software package, suitable for regular 5km events with 150 to 1000 participants. It includes a SensArray Pro UHF RFID reader using Power over Ethernet (PoE), so the cable requirements are very low; it is also equipped with three SensRF-101 antennas and antenna cables, which can be installed anywhere on the track with rubber pad cover.
The software provided by Agee is now used to time contestants at events around the world. Company founder Brian Agee is a running sports enthusiast. Ever since the college run competition, I have been looking for a timing technology solution. After graduating, Agee developed his own solution to avoid paying to invite timekeepers to time his annual event. “I want a system that’s easy to use, doesn’t require annual fees, and isn’t limited to proprietary hardware or tags,” he said.
“I’ve timed my game since 2003.” Agee said he doesn’t want to pay for chip time for small-time games, and he thinks manual timed games are boring-in some cases, this means the timekeeper has to Start the timer manually and run in front of the other contestants so that you can get the score of each contestant at the finish line. By 2012, Agee had developed its own software that could be sold to other racing organizations and then sold to timing solution providers. His solution has a unique feature called “open hardware”, which means customers can use the solution with any hardware or tag of their choice.
The price of an RFID tag, reader, and software for a timing system is usually around $ 10,000; if it is used multiple times, it is about the same cost as renting a race timer. However, most of the competitions are actually fun races or fundraising events organized locally, and the organizers generally cannot afford the cost. “Therefore, there is a problem with the timing industry. I hope to do it: anyone can time the game.”
Agee’s software is currently used with at least seven different brands of RFID readers and uses approximately 500 timers in 46 countries. However, for small companies with little experience, the installation of this system still has certain costs and challenges. For example, those timers developed for what Agee calls the “Weekend Warriors”, that is, couples who run on the weekend do not need too complicated and expensive systems, “they just want something reliable and easy to set up.”
Agee believes that the software works with most off-the-shelf UHF RFID readers. However, the SensThys RaceKit toolkit offers the best price / performance ratio on the market. Nes Mitchell, vice president of marketing for SensThys, said: “It is clear that Agee and SensThys have the opportunity to work together. We can simplify his equipment and minimize the time and cost of customer setup.” To this end, the company developed an antenna array with The reader consists of hardware that can be set to provide two read points on each side of the track. This technique can be used at the finish line or starting line, or elsewhere on the track. The reader can be placed hundreds of feet from the finish line computer via a Category 6 Ethernet cable.
The two companies have partnered with several customers of Agee to try out the technology in this area, and later added other features, such as a recycling toolbox with foam inserts, small enough to carry easily so people can park their cars At a distance from the game timing location, take the device to that location in person.
Testing was performed in severe weather conditions, including placing the reader in the hot sun at 98 ° for several hours. SensThys improved the reader for heat distribution, ease of deployment, and extension of cable lengths, which satisfied customers and Agee. “The system is working well,” Mitchell said.
After three months of testing, the two companies are now commercializing the toolkit. Customers purchase tool kits and will also purchase Agee software separately. Agee recommends that customers spend a week or two before using the software to ensure that they can set up the equipment and run the system before the game starts.
Event organizers can purchase the number cloth for the game separately, as well as shoes or ankle tags with built-in UHF RFID inlay. In general, Agee will provide some samples for testing using Alien Technology’s Short Squiggle inlay. The reader and antenna were then connected, mounted on a tripod, and connected via Ethernet to a computer that could act as a kiosk to collect and display the results of the game. Participants will receive a numbered cloth with an RFID tag when they arrive on the day of the competition. The numbered cloth is printed with the number corresponding to the unique ID number encoded on the RFID chip.
When each contestant completes the competition and passes the antenna, the system will automatically capture the tag ID in the contestant’s number cloth and associate it with their results. This information is then displayed based on the number printed on the front of the number cloth or label. Participants can view their results on a computer, and if the data has been uploaded to the server, they can also view the results on the server. According to the reports of the two companies, when the game is over, the technology can be recovered and packaged in minutes. This kit can also be customized to specific size cables and brackets.
This equipment is not only suitable for 5-km races, but also for endurance, obstacle and other events such as solar cars, canoes or motocross races. Agee explained that for him, the solution was less enthusiastic than business. “I’m a runner who loves running, and I want to give back to society,” he said. Agee also provides other software features that can be used for specific types of competitions. For example, the reader can be installed at different locations along the more challenging track, and the software can track each location that competitors pass through to ensure runners progress as expected.
In addition, Agee said the system can be used to prevent collisions in high-speed events, such as motocross. For example, if the reader is installed near an obstacle, when it detects that one participant’s tag is stationary, the reader will alert when another participant approaches.
The RaceKit kit measures 14 * 14 * 30 inches and includes a reusable housing, SensArray reader, three antennas, two 30-foot antenna cables, and a 12-foot antenna cable (for the antenna closest to the reader) ), A power connector, a 50-foot cable used between the reader and the connector, and a 10-foot cable used between the computer and the connector. It also comes with a sample tag and reader rain cover, and four tripods for readers and antennas.