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Timekeepers

RFID Timing System for the Beer Bike Race

Member profile details

Membership level

2012-2013 Team

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Team Name

Timekeepers

Project Title

RFID Timing System for the Beer Bike Race

Design Challenge

Currently Beer Bike is timed by judges with stop watches. This system results in significant human error causing uncertainty in the race outcome. Our project aim is to develop an automated system that can be used by the Beer Bike organizers to eliminate timing error and crown a true champion.

Design Summary

Team Timekeepers has designed a system that will automate the timing of Beer Bike, Rice’s annual bicycle relay race and beverage chugging competition. This system eliminates the uncertainty in the competition results that is produced by the race’s current timing method. Specifically, this system is needed because:
- Beer Bike is a critical part of Rice’s unique and diverse culture
- Uncertainty in the race results damages the competition’s integrity and value
- Past timing errors have been severe; often times are missing for entire teams

Beer Bike is a unique event, and as such a unique timing system is necessary to function within the race’s current format. In order to design a system that is optimal for Beer Bike, Team Timekeepers developed the following design criteria:
- The system will be accurate to within .5 seconds, eliminating timing error
- The system will be able track all participants and account for common race conditions
- The system will not obstruct the race or necessitate major changes to race format
- The system will be secure, durable, easy to use, and cost-effective

After weighing different options against these criteria, Team Timekeepers decided to to design an RFID-based timing system. RFID technology provided the greatest combination of accuracy, reliability, and compatibility with the Beer Bike format for a reasonable price. The RFID system is structured as follows:
- Each rider will be assigned an RFID tag with a unique ID number
- RFID antennas will be suspended over the finish line by cable and will detect the tags
- An RFID reader will collect data from the antennas and route data to race officials

This solution was initially tested by constructing a proof of concept prototype consisting of only one antenna connected to a reader. Tests were conducted by attaching an RFID tag to a bicycle and riding past the antenna to check for the accuracy and reliability of the system’s ability to read tags. Additional testing was done to determine the system’s ability to read multiple tags at once and to decide upon specific models of RFID equipment (tags, antennas, etc.) to include in the system. Test results confirmed that this RFID solution is feasible and highly accurate, even for bicycles travelling at high speeds. After the single antenna tests, a multi-antenna prototype was built. Testing (for multiple tags, at high speeds, etc) was conducted on this new prototype, with the results verifying that the RFID solution could be scaled up to meet the race requirements. Following the success of these tests, the full system was constructed, tested, and fine-tuned. The system was used to time Beer Bike 2013 and performed successfully.