Sensors Track Martial Arts Moves

Filed in archive Sports on June 7, 2004

OK, OK, this post is not about RFID strictly. Rather, it is about RFID tags' first cousins, sensors.

Looks like judges will be able to measure the power behind martial arts blows by using sensors:

"The system uses wireless piezoelectric pressure sensors planted in the hogu, or body protector worn by a competitor. Piezoelectric materials transfer vibration into electricity and vice versa. The sensors transfer the force of impact into a readable electrical signal that is wirelessly transmitted to a laptop base station.

The system includes wireless handsets for the three judges, and each sensor score has to be confirmed in real-time by a least two of the judges. The sensor and handset data is processed by the laptop, which also controls a score display."

No more faking it! (Via MIT Technology Review).