Impedance-Based Impact Scoring via Conductive Material Displacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Human officiating and scoring in athletic events are prone to errors and controversies, especially as athletes push the limits of human performance, necessitating a more accurate and reliable system to determine impacts and scores.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of impedance-based impact measuring sporting equipment, which includes conductive materials and impedance changing mechanisms to detect changes in impedance upon impact, allowing for the determination of impact location, magnitude, and scoring through a connected scoring system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If human officials manually score athletic events, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but measurement precision and reliability deteriorate due to human error and controversy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical human officiating system with an electronic sensing system that uses impedance changes to detect and measure impacts. Conductive materials and sensors automatically detect impact events, eliminating human error while providing precise measurement of impact location, magnitude, and timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The sporting equipment incorporates self-measuring capabilities through embedded conductive materials and impedance sensors that automatically detect and record impact events without requiring external human intervention. The system self-scores by measuring impedance changes caused by impacts.
2Reliability
If impedance-based sensing mechanisms are implemented to detect impacts, then measurement precision and reliability improve, but device complexity increases due to additional conductive materials and sensing components
Solution Approach 1:
The impedance-based sensing system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it detects impact occurrence, measures impact location, determines impact magnitude, and provides timing information. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate sensing systems for each measurement parameter.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes changes in electrical impedance as a physical parameter to detect and characterize impacts. By measuring impedance variations caused by impact forces on conductive materials, the system reliably determines impact properties without requiring complex mechanical sensors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system provides accurate and objective scoring by measuring changes in impedance to determine the location and magnitude of impacts, reducing human error and enhancing the reliability of athletic event scoring.
Implementation Method 1
an impedance changing mechanism that changes impedance as the conductive material is moved towards and away from the impedance changing mechanism as the first participant delivers the impact
Data Source
AI summary
A conductive material of a plurality of separate conductive materials are coupled to a first participant, the conductive material configured to move when the first participant delivers an impact to a second participant. An impedance-based impact sensing mechanism including an impedance changing mechanism that changes impedance as the conductive material is moved towards and away from the impedance changing mechanism as the first participant delivers the impact. An impedance-based impact measuring scoring system determines that the impact occurred based on a change in impedance in the impedance changing mechanism.