Faculty of Computer Science, Chemnitz University of Technology, Straße der Nationen 62, 09111 Chemnitz, Germany.
Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 31-33, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany.
Sensors (Basel). 2023 Aug 23;23(17):7339. doi: 10.3390/s23177339.
This paper introduces a novel approach to addressing the challenge of accurately timing short distance runs, a critical aspect in the assessment of athletic performance. Electronic photoelectric barriers, although recognized for their dependability and accuracy, have remained largely inaccessible to non-professional athletes and smaller sport clubs due to their high costs. A comprehensive review of existing timing systems reveals that claimed accuracies beyond 30 ms lack experimental validation across most available systems. To bridge this gap, a mobile, camera-based timing system is proposed, capitalizing on consumer-grade electronics and smartphones to provide an affordable and easily accessible alternative. By leveraging readily available hardware components, the construction of the proposed system is detailed, ensuring its cost-effectiveness and simplicity. Experiments involving track and field athletes demonstrate the proficiency of the proposed system in accurately timing short distance sprints. Comparative assessments against a professional photoelectric cells timing system reveal a remarkable accuracy of 62 ms, firmly establishing the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed system. This finding places the camera-based approach on par with existing commercial systems, thereby offering non-professional athletes and smaller sport clubs an affordable means to achieve accurate timing. In an effort to foster further research and development, open access to the device's schematics and software is provided. This accessibility encourages collaboration and innovation in the pursuit of enhanced performance assessment tools for athletes.
本文提出了一种新颖的方法来解决准确计时短距离跑步的挑战，这是评估运动员表现的关键方面。电子光电栅栏虽然因其可靠性和准确性而得到认可，但由于成本高昂，对非专业运动员和小型体育俱乐部来说仍然难以企及。对现有计时系统的全面审查表明，声称的精度超过 30 毫秒在大多数可用系统中缺乏实验验证。为了弥补这一差距，提出了一种基于移动相机的计时系统，利用消费级电子产品和智能手机为用户提供负担得起且易于使用的替代方案。通过利用现成的硬件组件，详细介绍了所提出系统的构建，确保了其成本效益和简单性。针对田径运动员的实验表明，所提出的系统在准确计时短距离短跑方面表现出色。与专业光电计时系统的比较评估显示，其精度高达 62 毫秒，这有力地证明了所提出系统的可靠性和有效性。这一发现使基于相机的方法与现有的商业系统相媲美，从而为非专业运动员和小型体育俱乐部提供了一种经济实惠的方式来实现准确计时。为了进一步促进研究和开发，提供了该设备原理图和软件的开放访问权限。这种可访问性鼓励了合作和创新，以追求更先进的运动员表现评估工具。
