- Track System
- Field System
- Road Event System
Effective June 30, 2008, our company name has been changed from SEIKO S-YARD CO., LTD. to SEIKO SPORTS LIFE CO., LTD.
Sports Timing
Start Pistol
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"On your marks...get set..." Then comes the crack of a pistol shot, and the race begins. The starting signal is relayed to the athletes through a speaker built into each competitor’s starting block and also through speakers set up around the track. No matter where on the track the athletes are for the start, they all hear the signal clearly and at the same instant. |
False Start Detection System
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The starting system incorporates a False Start Detection System. In a race of up to 400 metres this system can accurately detect a false start and automatically notify everyone involved. Sensors built into each starting block monitor the pressure that the athlete exerts on the footplates. The sudden movement when the athlete leaves the block causes an abrupt change in pressure on the footplates. |
| The timing of the pressure change is compared with the timing of the start signal to an accuracy of 1/1,000th of a second. The general view is that it takes at least 1/10th of a second for anyone to react to a sound, so a reaction (pressure change) occurring either before the firing of the Start Pistol or less than 1/10th of a second after is judged to be a false start. When a false start is detected, a second pistol sound is generated in less than one second to inform the athletes, the starter and the spectators. The starter is thus free to focus on the start itself, and there is no danger that a race will be completed in spite of a false start having been detected. |  |
Slit Video System
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In track events a number of athletes may cross the finish line at almost the same moment. SEIKO's Slit Video System captures a very thin image of the finish line: literally a slice of the action. Each image is captured through a slit just 20/1,000ths of a millimetre wide, and up to 2,000 such images can be recorded per second. That's one image every 0.0005 seconds. |
| Each image is associated with a specific time, so when these image slices are lined up next to each other they reveal the precise instant when each athlete crossed the line. The composite image can be instantly transmitted to the stadium display and shown on TV as the photo-finish picture. You can see some examples on the IAAF’s website.These days Slit Video Systems are widespread, and no wonder. Using an old-fashioned film-based photo-finish device it would take at least a minute to announce the results, since photographs of the finish had to be developed on the spot before they could be viewed and judgments made. As the Slit Video System requires no photographic development, the finishing order can be determined much more quickly. And thanks to the introduction of colour systems it has become possible to confirm the identity of athletes by the colour of their outfits. |  |
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Video Assisted Photo Finish System
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A video camera is set up to face the finishing athletes, and footage from that camera is linked to footage from a Slit Video System. The images taken by the video camera are displayed with the images from the Slit Video System, side by side on the same screen. This helps the judges identify the bib number of each athlete. In events where a transponder is used, the Video Assisted Photo Finish System can also be linked to the transponder's finish data. Click on the time measured by the transponder, and a vertical line representing that time will automatically appear on the judgment screen. |
Windgauge System
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Certain wind conditions have to be met before a result in track and field events and other competitions can be officially recognised. Traditionally, anemometers in the form of tubular sensors were set up either parallel to the running track or parallel to the runway for the long jump and triple jump. These offered a mechanical measurement, but since wind direction is not constant the reliability of such devices was in doubt. So SEIKO used ultrasound technology to develop a measuring device that would sense wind movement in all directions, including vertical. The SEIKO Windgauge System instantaneously processes the wind data picked up by its sensors, computes the data for the "following wind" direction and displays this figure in metres per second on the wind information display board. |
Track Timer
| The Track Timer is at the heart of the SEIKO operation. Times displayed on TV, Trackside Display Board and scoreboards are all transmitted from the Track Timer. The Track Timer starts counting from 0.00 seconds at the instant when the Start Pistol is fired. Referring to signals from Photo Beam Units, it measures lap times and finish times. Laps remaining and other key facts are also handled by the Track Timer. |  |
Photo Beam Unit
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A Photo Beam Unit detects each athlete passing through a beam of red and infrared light. These units are used in many events requiring time and speed measurements. A Photo Beam Unit is set up on either side of the track at such essential locations as the finish line. The light-emitting equipment is placed on one side of the track and the light receiving equipment on the other. When an athlete cuts through the beam, a signal is sent to the timer. In a track event where official finish times are determined by a Slit Video System, a Photo Beam Unit is used to measure split times for the leader. It also provides the winner’s unofficial finish time. |
Trackside Display Board
| Trackside Display Boards are set up at the four corners of the track for the benefit of athletes and spectators. Before the race, these displays show the name of the next event. When the race begins, they display time elapsed, starting from 0.00 seconds. The count stops at the unofficial finish time generated when the leading runner crosses the finish line and breaks the photo beam. Once the Slit Video System picture has been examined, the official time is displayed for all to see. It has become very common to see an athlete who has just set a world record trot over to the Trackside Display Board to pose for commemorative photos. |  |
Transponder System
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A transponder system is already being used for the marathon, walking races and other road events. This new system applies transponder technology to track events in the stadium. One antenna is installed at the finish line; another on the other side of the track at the starting line for the 200m race. A transponder weighing approximately 7.5g is attached to the back of each athlete's bib. Each time an athlete passes an antenna, |
| data is transmitted. This system can be used to confirm the lap count of each athlete in a long-distance event. A lap judge can check lap count on a monitor at the finish line. As this data can also be viewed in the photo-finish room it helps judges reach a swift conclusion about finishing order. Lap time information sent to TV can generate more information for TV viewers. |  |