Bataan event uses RFID technology to provide real-time location information

During the Bataan Death March Memorial Run held a few weeks ago at the White Sands Missile Base in the New Mexico desert, organizers used RFID technology to track the participants' routes and speeds. In this solution, passive UHF RFID tags are attached to competitors' bibs, and RFID Readers are installed at several key locations. RFID competition timing system is used to capture the position of the contestants, activate the camera and automatically take pictures of the contestants.

The Bataan Death Memorial Run commemorates the 1942 Bataan Death March during World War II, when the Japanese army forced 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners to walk 65 miles through the Philippine jungle, causing many casualties. The event commemorates World War II and raises funds for veterans. Competitors typically include active duty military personnel, retired military personnel, athletes and death march survivors from around the world. The event is 26.2 miles long and includes a 400-foot vertical climb.

(A set of overhead RFID readers are installed at the starting line to read the RFID tag IDs worn by competitors)

This competition takes approximately 12 hours. At the starting line, each competitor needs to shake hands with the survivors. This process takes about one and a half hours.

This year’s competition attracted 6,616 participants. Erin Dorrance, director of public affairs at the White Sands Missile Range, said the competition started at 6:30 a.m. that day, and the last competitor arrived at the finish line at 10 p.m. This year, the event used an ultra-high frequency RFID system for the first time. RFID readers were installed at the start and finish lines and three other locations. Multiple cameras are installed at each of the five reading points, and a cloud software is provided to process the collected data and images.

David Rodriguez, information security officer at White Sands Missile Range, said: "Although we have used other RFID timing systems for many years, they have not been able to provide the real-time location of competitors. This is very important. The competition is in the desert. Not only that, if someone Left behind or lost, they may also step on unexploded ordnance.”

In this year’s event, each contestant received a bib with an RFID tag attached. The tag ID number is bound to the contestant information. Tags can also be bound to contestants’ social accounts.

RFID readers are installed at several key locations such as the starting line and the finish line to read the contestants' tags to determine the contestants' location. When a contestant is within a certain range of the reader, the system will activate the camera at that location to take photos of the contestant. The software uses its own algorithm to select the best photos of contestants. The system will then send the contestant's 5 photos to the email or share them on the contestant's social networking site.

ITS uses microwave transmitters to connect to the Internet. "We build our own towers," said company CEO Kurt Hansen.

When the contestant reaches the finish line, the system will automatically calculate the finishing time and push it to the contestant's mobile phone and social media through the application. This way, contestants can view their race results. This is very useful as every runner wants to know their finish time.

In this year’s race, approximately 30 tags were not read at the finish line. Some runners' bibs fell off midway, and some didn't finish.

Next year, Rodriguez plans to add readers to provide more precise location data.

2006, an alternative to ITRFID timing solutions (usually using LF or HF passive RFID tags built into shoes, insole readers). He has a background in RF Engineering, antenna design, software engineering, circuit design, and is a radio amateur. He is interested in improving the weaknesses of existing RFID systems. Low-frequency or high-frequency passive RFID tags and readers cannot provide high read rates, and insole readers may cause competitors to fall. "I wanted to take an overhead reader," he said. So he built a lab in his basement and spent 2 years developing a UHF system that could read bib tag IDs and identify their location. .

Hansen explained: "We use mathematical methods such as signal strength, triangulation and so on to determine position. 32 antennas are installed at each timing point to support these complex algorithms."

In terms of event management, software can not only help organizers know who is left behind, but also know whether contestants have changed their game plans.

Technical cooperation developed reader and tag technology. Hansen said this was because it cooperated with the company's attitude in modifying the design parameters of the reader. The system uses an RFID reader with firmware and an antenna customized for the event environment. The company also uses labels it manufactures itself. In fact, 14 different tags are available, each with unique performance attributes suitable for different events.

Due to the need to interact with each antenna port, resulting in delays, the read rate of the existing system cannot reach 98%. Hansen said this will be improved.

The ITS system can also provide real-time viewing of game results and images through the broadcast system. Over the past year, events such as Interbike have used this technology.