Application of RFID sports timing, personnel management and asset management in the Cape Epic multi-day mountain bike race
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Introduction
The third Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike Race (Moutain Biking MTB) sponsored by adidas was held in South Africa from April 22 to 29, 2006. On Saturday, April 22, 2006, 1,046 MTB riders from 37 different countries set off from the waterfront of Knysna, starting their exciting 8-day journey through the western headlands. In 8 days, the 523 two-man team had to ride 921 kilometers and climb 16,605 kilometers (equivalent to twice the height of Mount Everest) before reaching the finish line of Spier on the following Saturday to win the “Cape Epic” Finisher” honor. 824 of the 1,046 riders rode all the way to the Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch.
Picture 1: Cape Epic drivers during the second race
Pass by African elephants
Behind the scenes of this world’s largest full-service mountain bike race, there are more than 420 staff members working in Giant Bicycles bike park and Cape Union Mart Race Village, which has 33 independent luxury showers and 100 portable toilets. They set up 1,200 tents every day; load and unload the luggage of more than 1,000 riders; install 1,500 chairs and 150 tables; set up a dining tent totaling 21,130 square meters and put them away after the meal. During the competition, they have to transport a total of 780 tons and 2,700 cubic meters of equipment and supplies. This year, the Absa Cape Epic fleet consists of more than 110 registered vehicles, including five 22-meter-long Superlink trucks and two foodgrade tankers dedicated to water supply.
In order to ensure the orderly operation of the behind-the-scenes operations like a clockwork, the organizers of Cape Epic have brought together a group of experts from various fields and fully integrated them into the Cape Epic team to manage the key areas of the game. For example, Imperial Logistics handles daily logistical needs, Medi-Clinic special affairs team provides emergency response and medical care throughout the event, Delta search and rescue ensures that the communication on the race line is always smooth, Conference Communications (Pty) is responsible for all audio Visual effects. Conference Computers set up all wireless networks and high-tech in the competition to run VIPID, which is an RFID system software that tracks and manages all drivers and their assets.
The organizers of Cape Epic use IPICO’s dual-frequency RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags and readers to identify and track 1,046 riders, their rider bags and mountain bikes, and more than 420 employees who support the event. The integrated services provided by IPICO RFID equipment include:
l Sports timing
l The safety of mountain bikes is identified by its storage in the race schedule
l Asset management of driver luggage bag
l Recognize and control the entry and exit of drivers and employees entering and exiting the race village, driver area, and employee area
l To provide catering services to identify and certify drivers and employees
need
In addition to being the world’s largest full-service mountain bike race, Cape Epic also conducts daily broadcasts in many countries in Europe and South Africa. It is necessary to provide commentators with real-time driver information during the entire 8 days of the race, and to provide local and international media with near-real-time result information after the end of the different stages of the race. To meet the above requirements, coupled with the daily logistics needs of transporting and protecting personnel and equipment from one remote town or city to another, it is necessary to use advanced communications and electronic equipment.
Picture 2: A Cape Epic competition village with 1,200 tents and other facilities
The organizers of Cape Epic will measure and evaluate some key performance indicators before, during and after the game. These key performance indicators include:
l Race management services: high-efficiency registration and race data management for 1,046 drivers and the media
l Commentator information: During the race, when 1,046 drivers (or 523 teams) cross the auditorium and the finish line of each stage, it will provide the commentators with real-time driver and team identification information.
l Sports Timing Service (Cape Epic): Daily timing reports provided to international media and riders include:
² The daily results of the event and the combined classification of all participants are divided into men’s, women’s, mixed and master levels, and the starting group of the next stage must be displayed.
² The starting area where all the participants are concentrated, and the next stage is classified by the driver number.
² Effective starting area for emergency medical services.
² A list of players who have completed the competition containing all the comprehensive classifications of each stage and each group.
l Drivers and staff identification: electronic identification of drivers and staff, used to provide 1500 drivers and staff with breakfast and dinner food service every day.
l Driver luggage identification: When receiving and picking up the driver luggage before and after each stage for transportation to the next race village, electronic identification of 1,046 driver luggage and their exact matching with each driver will be carried out one by one.
l Mountain bike identification: After each stage, in order to ensure the safety of mountain bikes overnight, the 1,046 mountain bikes from Giant Bicycles bike park will be electronically identified one by one and their exact matching with each rider.
l Sports timing (Vigne à Vigne race): Provide timing services for 1,200 MTB riders who participated in the final stage of Cape Epic between Boschendal and Spier, 67km and 35km Vigne à Vigne races.
Picture 3: Schematic diagram of Cape Epic RFID system
In order to provide the above-mentioned services and evaluate key performance indicators, Cape Epic’s sponsors and service providers have selected and used IPICO’s IP-XTM dual-frequency RFID system platform. This passive RFID technology can provide a single platform with integrated timing, asset and personnel management services. The parts used in Cape Epic include:
l IPICO MTB label installed on the official dial of the Cape Epic competition
l Blue (driver) and red (staff) coded IPICO wristband labels
l IPICO asset tag installed in the driver’s luggage
l IPICO sports timing label for drivers participating in the Vigne à Vigne race in the final stage of Cape Epic
l IPICO sports timing reader
l IPICO Conference RFID Reader
l IPICO dual-frequency handheld RFID reader
Picture 4: Cape Epic riders are equipped with IPICO MTB tags installed in the race dial, and wear blue IPICO wristband tags.
Restraint
Cape Epic is a huge logistics job. In the first two years of Cape Epic, it won several logistics awards. Cape Epic is also a world-class event, which is part of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) competition schedule. It requires the provision of world-class services for the media, spectators and drivers. Holding the Cape Epic competition places the following restrictions on electronic equipment and Service providers:
l Service implementation: logistics, timing, catering and other services must be planned and implemented very accurately and meticulously. The timing and completion of events are essential, including:
² Before the end of each stage, prepare a competition village with accommodation tents, bathing, food and beverage supplies, other support services and appropriate facilities
² Provide 3000 meals for 1500 people every day
² Handling over 1,000 riders’ luggage and mountain bikes handed in and collected every day
² Provide the results of the race to the media, drivers and organizers after the end of each stage
l System integration and adjustment: To provide the above services requires the use of electronic equipment and communications, all of which must be integrated, installed, adjusted, tested, distributed and managed on a daily basis. The data and reports of most games of this type are still manually entered, which endangers the integrity of management information. In the 2006 ABSA Cape Epic race, advanced multi-reading RFID technology was used to collect and enter these data, and to display real-time information and race results for race organizers, staff, media and drivers.
l Durable technical products: Technical products must be able to withstand harsh environments, especially sports timing tags and readers. These devices are used in severe weather conditions, including rain (and mud) and severely high temperatures.
l Lost and (or) theft: The theft and loss of equipment has caused a huge problem for the race organizer. For example, the price of a mountain bike is between US$1,500 and US$5,000; the driver’s luggage contains personal valuable equipment . These assets had to be protected and transported during the game. Any loss or theft is not allowed, and the use of manual asset management systems is likely to cause human error and collusion fraud.
l Budget constraints: The use of manual systems or multi-reading RFID technology platforms, such as combining active and (or) passive tags of different frequencies, will result in additional tag and reader costs. The multi-reading RFID technology platform also complicates the integration of various RFID-related services and the training of employees who provide services during the competition.
Picture 5: Cape Epic drivers struggle with rain and mud in the first race
solution
The key to this solution lies in the uniqueness of IPICO. As shown in the figure below about the influence level, from system integration/service and middleware to chip design, they are all based on IPICO’s own technology.
After introducing UHF passive RFID for personnel and asset tracking, and active RFID tags for timekeeping in 2005 Cape Epic, they made a proposal to use IPICO’s new passive dual-frequency RFID technology. Although iPico also produces advanced UHF tags and readers, Cape Epic’s organizers and Service providers soon realized and agreed that dual-frequency has advantages over UHF and/or expensive active tag technology. . In the past two years, dual-frequency technology has been successfully used and mass-produced in various asset tracking applications around the world. This technology has also been successfully tested and introduced in marathons, cross-country races and triathlons in South Africa, Australia, the United States and Argentina.
Picture 6: IPICO’s influence in the RFID value chain
Dual-frequency technology is superior to traditional passive low frequency RFID technology, ultra-high frequency and microwave RFID technology in the related fields of personnel management, asset tracking and sports timing. It is more effective than expensive active tags in sports timing solutions. s Choice. It will not suffer from performance degradation caused by magnetic coupling between readers and tags, human bodies, liquids, and even certain metals.
Picture 7 and 8: IPICO dual-frequency conference and handheld reader
l Driver and staff recognition
IPICO provided Cape Epic organizers with color-coded IPICO dual-frequency RFID wristband tags. Riders wear blue tags, while staff use red wristband tags. Conference Computers is the number one provider of conference services in South Africa. They developed VIPID, a software system integrated with IPICO conferences and handheld RFID readers. The wristband tags of riders and staff are read at important entrances, including the entrances to areas where only riders and staff are allowed in the race village, the entrance to the Giant Bicycles bike park where bicycles are parked and picked up, and at the riders The identification of drivers when they hand in and (or) collect their driver’s luggage.
The same software system is also used to identify 1,500 drivers and staff who receive meals at breakfast and dinner to ensure that only authorized persons can use these facilities and services.
Picture 9: IPICO MTB label and car wristband label Picture 10: Cape Epic race dial
l Mountain bike recognition
IPICO developed the MTB label installed on the official dial of the Cape Epic competition. These are the standard sizes of dials used in most MTB competitions around the world. The tag is installed on the handlebar of a mountain bike about 1.2 meters (4 feet) above the ground, making it easy for the organizers, media, and photographers (and manual timekeepers) to recognize.
These tags are mainly used for sports timing, when MTB participants pass through any checkpoint set at the starting point, any checkpoint on the race route, a detection station at a superior position, and the IPICO STK reader protection pad at the finish line. Provide real-time driver and team information for the game commentators. At the same time, the IPICO timing service collects the electronic race time of each driver and team at the finish line.
Conference Computers also uses these tags with IPICO wristband tags to control access to Giant Bicycles bike park. They use the IPICO conference RFID reader to identify whether the rider and their mountain bike match. This prevents all unauthorized misappropriation of mountain bikes during the race.
l Driver luggage identification
The IPICO asset management half-card tag is installed in the driver’s luggage bag during the production process. This ensures that each bag has a unique electronic identification (tag) number associated with the driver’s race number.
Conference Computers uses these tags together with IPICO wristband tags to provide a complete asset management solution for the collection and inspection of the driver’s luggage before the start of each stage. These bags were then transported to the next competition village (after the end of the day). After a stage is over, they use the IPICO conference RFID reader to identify whether the driver and their driver’s luggage match. This prevents all unauthorized collection of driver luggage during the race.
Picture 11: Driver luggage bag with IPICO asset management tag
l Cape Epic sports timing
IPICO provided a full set of sports timing services for the 2006 ABSA Cape Epic. They use STK Elite and Lite readers to read the IPICO MTB tags installed on each mountain bike while the riders pass the reader protection pad.
IPICO’s STK Lite reader is used as a “reconnaissance station” to provide real-time driver and team information for the dominant position (audience) and the race commentators on the finish line of each stage. IPICO’s STK scroller software system displays important athlete information for game commentators, such as the driver’s race number, team number, athlete and (or) team name; the athlete and (or) team’s sub-station race time, race time, and accumulated time And other related (behind the scenes) information.
IPICO’s STK Elite reader/writer collects the sub-station and stage results of the drivers and teams who reach the finish line in each stage. IPICO’s STK timing system has been modified to implement Cape Epic’s business rules, such as identifying driver changes and/or those who complete the race alone and abandoning the racer and give time reduction penalties. The report provided to the media and the competition organizer includes the results of the daily stage and the comprehensive classification of each group; the starting area on the starting point where all the participants are concentrated, and the next stage is classified according to the driver number; it is urgent The effective starting area provided by the medical service; and the complete list of players (after the end of the last stage on the 8th day).
l Vigne à Vigne sports timing
IPICO uses a one-time low-cost sports timing tag to time the drivers participating in the final stage of Cape Epic. On the last day, nearly 500 drivers participated in Cape Epic’s 67km final or 35km short stage race. The results of the race were collected using an IPICO STK reader from each Epic rider who reached the finish line at Spier Wine Estate.
Results
According to Cape Epic’s game director Kevin Vermaak, they have always been committed to improving service quality and accumulating Cape Epic experience. This makes technology more and more important. “IPICO’s RFID technology played an important role in the success of ABSA Cape Epic in 2006,” Vermaak said: “The integrated RFID system provided by IPICO and Conference Computers constitutes a complete set of services. We even plan to integrate these types of The service is extended to other competitions in the future, which will make Cape Epic the top MTB event in the world.”
IPICO’s President and Operations Director-Luther Erasmus, together with his colleague, IPICO’s technical director and the “think tank” behind IPICO’s RFID technology-Hendrik van Eeden, participated and successfully completed the 2006 ABSA Cape Epic. Luther Erasmus commented: “Cape Epic is a challenge for IPICO and all employees involved in sports timing services and this event! When our (sports) timing solutions were successfully tested and applied to roads and roads in the past two years For long-distance races and triathlons, Cape Epic is IPICO’s first important MTB and multi-stage competition. This kind of competition does not allow errors. In the early stages, the IPICO team and other drivers were in the mud at the same time. Fighting against mechanical failures, the IPICO timing team overcame the initial challenge and provided accurate and timely results for each stage of the competition.”
Erasmus also pointed out that for the IPICO team, it is an extremely valuable experience for the IPICO team to participate in the competition with other drivers, while seeing the competition commentators and other Service providers using the company’s RFID technology to obtain real-time event information. They also studied the similarities between the behavior of Service providers and drivers when using IPICO technology. They will use these observations to further improve their services and solutions. The three-year sponsorship and timing service contract signed by IPICO and Cape Epic will help this event to a higher level in 2007.
in conclusion
Cape Epic’s Service providers integrate IPICO’s RFID technology in their personnel and asset management, food supply management, and exercise timing systems. It is obvious from their success that the huge benefits of using RFID in sports and game management can be seen. This is not only limited to staged MTB competitions, but also applies to most single-day, multi-day and multi-type sports competitions, as well as staged sports events. RFID is also an ideal technology for sports games or conferences that have a lot of logistical requirements, such as running an entire game village. IPICO’s IP-XTM UHF and dual-frequency RFID technology can also be customized and packaged to meet the special needs of event organizers.
In order to improve the level of service provided to their customers by suppliers of sports games and other events, the direct and indirect contribution of IPCIO’s RFID technology is the biggest reason for using this technology. These customers include media and commentators, audiences, and athletes or other contestants.
IPICO Inc. (TSX-V: RFD) www.ipico.com
480 Harvestor Road www.cape-epic.com
Burlington, Ontario www.confcomp.co.za
CANADA L7L 4X2
IPICO China
Marketing&Sale [email protected]
Technical support [email protected]
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