Jockey robot system for race camels

Abstract

The present invention relates to a jockey robot system for race camels (20) comprising: a frame (1) adapted to the back of a race camel (20); a variable speed motor (2) with a rotary shaft (3), a whip (4) connected to the rotary shaft (3); a sensor unit including at least one biometric sensor (6) to measure the heart rate and / or temperature of the camel (20) and a speed sensor and / or accelerometer (7); a control unit (8) configured to activate, deactivate and to adjust the speed of the variable speed motor (2), depending on the data collected by the sensor unit (6, 7); a communication module (10) for sending data collected by the sensor unit (6, 7) to a remote data collection unit (9); and a remote interface (11) for configuring the control unit (8).

Description

[0001] JOCKEY ROBOT SYSTEM FOR RACE CAMELS

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention belongs to the technical field of camel racing. More specifically, the invention refers to a jockey robot system for race camels which, among other advantages, is capable of enhancing racing performance, while prioritizing the welfare and well-being of the camels.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] For centuries, camel racing has been an integral part of Arab culture and heritage, with camels prized for their importance in transportation, trade, and cultural significance. On the other hand, in countries such as United Arab Emirates, Qatar and even Australia, camel races are frequently the object of sport bets, in which high sums of money are at stake.

[0006] However, traditional camel racing once involved the use of child jockeys, which raised concerns about child labour and the potential harm to young riders, so it was forced to modernize. In response to this need, child jockeys were replaced in many countries by robot jockeys, which usually comprise a frame designed to fit the back of a race camel, a remotely controlled motor, and a whip, connected to the motor for providing stimulation to the camel.

[0007] Nevertheless, despite this progress, currently available robot jockeys suffer from the following limitations and disadvantages: racing performance entirely relies on the expertise, knowledge and intuition of the person which is remotely operating the jockey robot.

[0008] In fact, jockey robot operators currently lack of objective indicators which could assist them in maximizing the camel's potential, designing personalized training plans and care regimens to support the camel's well-being over time and, simultaneously, increasing its chances of winning races. They also lack of accurate insights into the camel's health and condition, enabling them to make informed decisions and provide better support during races. BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] To address the abovementioned problems and disadvantages, an object of the present invention is a jockey robot system for race camels comprising:

[0010] -a frame, the contour of the frame being adapted to the back of a race camel;

[0011] - at least one variable speed motor, housed in the frame and provided with a rotary shaft,

[0012] - a whip connected to the rotary shaft of the variable speed motor, so that a rotation of the rotary shaft induces a rotation of the whip in which the whip enters in contact with skin of the race camel; characterized in that the system further comprises: one sensor unit, configured to measure at least one physical parameter of the race camel, the sensor unit comprising: o at least one biometric sensor configured to measure the heart rate and / or the temperature of the race camel and a speed sensor; o a speed sensor and / or an accelerometer; a control unit, housed in the frame and configured to activate, to deactivate the motor and to adjust the speed of the variable speed motor, depending on the data collected by the sensor unit; the control unit being further configured to send data collected by the sensor unit, to a remote data collection unit, by means of a communication module; and a remote interface, intended to configure the control unit.

[0013] The jockey robot system according to the present invention described above is capable of obtaining real-time biometric data from the camel, as well as information regarding its speed and / or acceleration and to control the stimulation provided to the camel by the whip, in real time, depending on data measured by the sensor unit. Thanks to these distinctive features it is possible to optimize the camel's racing performance in real time, adapting its behaviour to changing track conditions and consequently, increasing its chances of winning races.

[0014] Moreover, the jockey robot system of the present invention is also capable of obtaining real time data regarding camel's health and condition, enabling trainers and jockey robot operators to take informed decisions about the welfare of their race camels in real time. It also makes possible for them to perform a long-term health monitoring of the camels by logging and analysing historical biometric data and consequently, designing personalized training plans and care regimens for maximizing each camel's potential.

[0015] The Jockey robot system of the invention preferably comprises at least one battery, configured to power the control unit.

[0016] The remote data collection unit used in the system of the present invention preferably comprises a cloud server.

[0017] In addition, said communication module is preferably arranged for encrypting data collected by the sensor unit before sending them, to the remote data collection unit, the remote data collection unit being also preferably provided with a user authentication module unit. These additional technical features increase the privacy and integrity of data which is sent to the remote data collection unit,

[0018] On the other hand, the remote interface preferably comprises a power button, configured to turn the jockey robot system on and off. This power button can be used as safety mechanism, allowing the quick disconnection of the jockey robot in emergency situations.

[0019] The control unit used in the jockey robot system of the present invention preferably comprises a microprocessor.

[0020] Moreover, the jockey robot system of the present invention preferably comprises a GPS geolocation unit. In addition, the remote interface used for configuring the control unit preferably comprises a tablet, smartphone, laptop computer or a desktop computer. Any of these options are preferred, since all of them provide user-friendly interfaces for users, in which numerous functionalities can be easily implemented, by means of a dedicated application or web portal.

[0021] The remote interface used in the system of the present invention can be arranged for implementing, for example, the following functionalities:

[0022] - real-time monitoring of data measured by from the sensor unit: The remote interface could then show real-time monitoring of telemetry data, including, for example, speed, acceleration, and heart rate of the camel race. This would users to make on-the-fly adjustments to the strategy, based on real-time data;

[0023] - remote adjustment of whipping parameters: such as frequency, intensity, timing, and duration;

[0024] - remote adjustment of speed thresholds: thus, users can set speed thresholds for which the variable speed motor (and consequently the whip) is activated or deactivated. For example, the control unit can be configured to increase whipping when a certain speed is reached, or reduce it when the camel reaches a target speed; and

[0025] - strategy planning: remote configuration could allow trainers and handlers to set specific strategies for handling camels during races. Said strategies can include predefined sequences of whipping and non-whipping intervals, which are preferably customized for each camel, depending on its performance and behavior.

[0026] In one preferred embodiment of the of the invention, compatible with all other embodiments thereof, the control unit is further configured to compare data collected by the sensor unit, with data previously stored in at least one database and activate, deactivate and / or adjust the speed of the variable speed motor, depending on the result of said comparison.

[0027] More preferably, the control unit comprises a machine learning unit, intended to predict the physical performance in a race of the race camel, depending on the data collected by the sensor unit. To that end, the machine learning unit receives as an input the heart rate and / or the temperature of the race camel, together with its speed and / or acceleration measured by the sensor, at least, at a given time; generates a data profile of the physical condition of the race horse; compares the data profile with a database of reference data profiles comprising reference data of race horses with different physical conditions at different times; and outputs a prediction of the physical performance in a race of the race camel based on said comparison.

[0028] Finally, in other preferred embodiment of the of the invention, compatible with all other embodiments thereof, the jockey robot system according to any of the previous claims, further comprises an identification tag, wearable by the race camel and configured to wirelessly communicate with the control unit, for example using Bluetooth wireless short length technology standard.

[0029] Thanks to this feature of the invention, it is possible to provide each race camel with a unique identification tag (ID), to ensure an accurate camel identification and avoiding misreadings or mix-ups between camels and jockey robots during training sessions and races, enhancing data accuracy and performance monitoring (since physical parameters of the race camel measured by the sensor unit of the jockey robot system can be univocally associated to the corresponding camel's ID), as well as increasing the overall jockey robot system reliability.

[0030] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The above and other advantages and characteristics of the invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of some exemplary embodiments thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, which should be considered by way of illustration and not limitation, in which:

[0032] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of one possible embodiment of the jockey robot system for race camels according to the present invention; and

[0033] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of the control unit which makes part of the jockey robot system of Fig. 1 . LIST OF REFERENCES

[0034] 1 Frame;

[0035] 2 Variable speed motor;

[0036] 3 Rotary shaft

[0037] 4 Whip;

[0038] 5 Battery;

[0039] 6 Biometric sensor (of the sensor unit);

[0040] 7 Speed sensor I accelerometer (of the sensor unit);

[0041] 8 Control unit;

[0042] 9 Remote data collection unit;

[0043] 10 Communication module;

[0044] 11 Remote interface;

[0045] 12 Power button;

[0046] 13 GPS location unit;

[0047] 14 Identification tag; and

[0048] 15 Protective pads;

[0049] 16 Cloud server;

[0050] 17 Smartphone;

[0051] 18 Tablet;

[0052] 19 Remote control;

[0053] 20 Race camel.

[0054] C Configuration parameters;

[0055] D Telemetry data;

[0056] ID Race camel Identification Tag.

[0057] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0058] Embodiments of the invention, illustrated in the figures listed above, will be described in detail below.

[0059] Figure 1 schematically shows one possible embodiment of the jockey robot system for race camels 20, according to the present invention.

[0060] Said jockey robot system comprises a frame 1 intended to be mounted on the back a race camel 20. To that end, the lower part of the frame 1 has a rounded contour, adapted to the shape of the back of a race camel 20. In fact, in this particular embodiment, frame 1 is further provided with protective pads 15, designed to reduce possible friction between the frame 1 and the back of the race camel 20.

[0061] A variable speed motor 2, is housed inside the frame 1 and is provided with a rotary shaft 3, connected to a gearbox. In this case, variable speed motor 2 is an electric motor having a power output of 300W. Nevertheless, the present invention also contemplates the use of other types of motors, with different power outputs.

[0062] A whip 4 is firmly joined to the rotary shaft 3 of the variable speed motor 2, so when the variable speed motor 2 is turned on and makes the rotary shaft 3 to rotate, the whip 4 also rotates jointly.

[0063] In addition, a control unit 8 is also housed in the frame 1. As schematically shown in Fig.2, in this particular embodiment of the invention, control unit 8 comprises a Rasperri Pi® microprocessor, which serves as central data processing and communication unit. In fact, a communication module 10 is directly integrated in said microprocessor and arranged for giving access to the internet using cellular networks.

[0064] A speed sensor and accelerometer 7 is also directly integrated in the Rasperri Pi® microprocessor, said sensor continuously measuring speed in meters per second (m / s) or kilometers per hour (km / h) and acceleration forces acting on the jockey robot in multiple axes, in meters per second squared (m / s2) or gravity units (g).

[0065] In this embodiment of the invention, a GPS geolocation unit 13 is also directly integrated in the Rasperri Pi® microprocessor, said geolocation unit 13 being arranged for receiving signals from GPS satellites to determine the jockey robot's geolocation and for continuously collating the corresponding latitude, longitude and, optionally, altitude data.

[0066] Also housed in the frame 1 there is a battery 5, which is employed in this embodiment of the invention, for powering both the control unit 8 and the variable speed motor 2. In this particular embodiment of the invention, battery 5 is a 18V Li-Ion battery having a capacity of 1.5 Ah. As shown in Fig. 1 , a biometric sensor 6 is arranged around the race camel 20 neck, and configured to measure the heart rate and / or the temperature of the race camel.

[0067] Depending on these data collected by biometric sensor 6 and data measured by the speed sensor and accelerometer 7, the control unit 8 activates, deactivates, or adjusts the speed of the variable speed motor 2 based on predefined configuration parameters C, such as speed thresholds for which the variable speed motor (and consequently the whip) is activated or deactivated. Thus, the control unit can be configured to increase whipping if the speed goes under a certain predefined value or reduce it when the camel reaches a target speed.

[0068] Configuration parameters C can be freely modified by a user by means of a remote interface 11 and subsequently sent to the control unit 8, in order to update its configuration. In this embodiment of the invention, remote interface 11 comprises several different devices: a smartphone 17 and a tablet 18. It also comprises a remote control 19 security device, provided with a power button 12, which is configured to turn the jockey robot system on and off.

[0069] Control unit 8 is further configured to send these telemetry data D (collected by both the biometric sensor 6 and the speed sensor I accelerometer 7) by means of the communication module 10, to a remote data collection unit 9, which in this particular embodiment of the invention comprises a cloud server 16.

[0070] In this embodiment, the jockey robot system is also provided with an electronic identification tag 13 intended to be fixed to the reins of the race camel 20. Tag 13 communicates by Bluetooth with the control unit 8, in order to transmit the unique electronic identification tag, ID, corresponding to the race camel 20.

[0071] Fig. 1 also shows with broken arrows the information interchanged between the different elements which make up the jockey robot system of the invention, said information being as follows:

[0072] -C are the configuration parameters, which serve as base for the control unit 8, to activate deactivate, or adjust the speed of the variable speed motor 2; -D is the telemetry data and includes speed and acceleration measurements (taken by speed sensor and accelerometer 7) and heart rate and temperature measurements of the race camel (taken by the biometric sensor 6); and

[0073] - ID is the unique electronic identification tag, corresponding to the race camel 20.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . Jockey robot system for race camels (20) comprising:-a frame (1), the contour of the frame (1) being adapted to the back of a race camel (20);- at least one variable speed motor (2), housed in the frame (1) and provided with a rotary shaft (3),- a whip (4) connected to the rotary shaft (3) of the variable speed motor (2), so that a rotation of the rotary shaft (3) induces a rotation of the whip (4) in which the whip (4) enters in contact with skin of the race camel (20); characterized in that the system further comprises: one sensor unit (6, 7), configured to measure at least one physical parameter of the race camel, the sensor unit (6, 7) comprising: o at least one biometric sensor (6) configured to measure the heart rate and / or the temperature of the race camel (20); and o a speed sensor and / or an accelerometer (7); a control unit (8), housed in the frame (1) and configured to activate, to deactivate and to adjust the speed of the variable speed motor (2), depending on the data collected by the sensor unit (6, 7); the control unit (8) being further configured to send data collected by the sensor unit (6, 7), to a remote data collection unit (9), by means of a communication module (10); and a remote interface (11), intended to configure the control unit (8).

2. Jockey robot system according to any of the previous claims, further comprising at least one battery (5) configured to power the control unit (8).

3. Jockey robot system according to any of the previous claims, wherein the remote data collection unit (9) comprises a cloud server (16).

4. Jockey robot system according to any of the previous claims, the control unit (8) being further configured to compare data collected by the sensor unit (6, 7), with data previously stored in at least one database and activate, deactivate and / or adjust the speed of the variable speed motor (2), depending on the result of said comparison.

5. Jockey robot system according to any of the previous claims, wherein the remote interface (11) comprises a smartphone (17), tablet (18), laptop computer or a desktop computer.

6. Jockey robot system according to any of the previous claims, wherein the remote interface (11) further comprises a power button (12), configured to turn the jockey robot system on and off.

7. Jockey robot system according to any of the previous claims, further comprising a GPS geolocation unit (13).

8. Jockey robot system according to any of the previous claims, further comprising an identification tag (14), wearable by the race camel and configured to wirelessly communicate with the control unit (8).

9. Jockey robot system according to any previous claims, wherein the control unit (8) comprises a microprocessor.

10. Jockey robot system according to any previous claims, wherein the control unit (8) comprises a machine learning unit intended to predict the physical performance in a race of the race camel, depending on the data collected by the sensor unit (6, 7).

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