Application of Radio Frequency Identification Technology RFID in Sports

1 Introduction

Beijing has adopted chip embedding technology for the first time in the history of Olympic tickets. When ticket holders enter the competition venues, they only need to swipe their tickets on the ticket checking machine. In fact, this chip is only a part of the entire identification system. The full name of this technology is radio frequency identification technology, which is RFID. A complete RFID system consists of three parts: reader, electronic tag and application software system. It is a contactless automatic identification technology that automatically identifies the target object and obtains relevant data through radio frequency signals.

RFID radio frequency identification system is regarded as one of the ten most important technologies of this century. Although this technology has existed for a long time, it was not until the large American supermarket chain Wal-Mart required its major suppliers to affix RFID electronic tags to their products that an RFID storm began. The application of RFID technology in the field of sports has a precedent. The 2006 World Cup used this RFID ticket. Its application in sports such as golf and track and field has also achieved good results. This article aims to introduce the principles of RFID technology, analyze its current application status and development prospects in the field of sports, and arouse the domestic sports academic community's understanding of this technology and further research and application.

2 RFID technology system composition and working principle

2.1 RFID technology system composition

2.1.1 Electronic tags

The electronic tag is the real carrier of the RFID system. The tag is equivalent to the barcode symbol in the barcode technology. It is used to store information that needs to be identified and transmitted. Each electronic tag has a unique electronic code. The electronic tag consists of a tag-specific chip and a tag antenna. The tag chip is used to store data information, and the tag antenna has the function of receiving and transmitting tag information. According to the different power supply methods of the electronic tags, electronic tags can be divided into active electronic tags and passive electronic tags. From the functional point of view, electronic tags can be divided into read-only tags, rewritable tags, tags with microprocessors, and tags equipped with sensors. According to the modulation method, tags can also be divided into active tags and passive tags.

2.1.2 Reader/Writer

The reader is a device responsible for reading or writing tag information. It can complete the functions of reading, writing, displaying and processing data independently, or it can be combined with a computer or other system to complete the operation of the electronic tag. A typical reader includes a control module, a radio frequency module, an interface module and a reader antenna. In addition, many readers have additional interfaces (RS232, RS485, Ethernet interface, etc.) to transmit the acquired data to the application system or receive commands from the application system.

2.1.3 Data Management System

The data management system mainly completes the storage, management, analysis of data information and reads and writes the electronic tags. The data management system can be a database or supply chain system of various sizes.

2.2 Working principle of RFID technology system

2.2.1 Principles of data transmission in RFID technology system

The electronic tag and the reader realize spatial (contactless) coupling of the radio frequency signal through the coupling element. In the coupling channel, according to the timing relationship, energy transfer and data exchange are realized. There are two types of coupling of radio frequency signals between the reader and the tag: inductive coupling and electromagnetic backscatter coupling. Inductive coupling realizes coupling through high-frequency alternating magnetic field in space, based on the law of electromagnetic induction. The inductive coupling method is generally suitable for short-range radio frequency identification systems working at medium and low frequencies, and the identification range is less than one meter. The Olympic ticket identification system uses this coupling method. Electromagnetic backscatter coupling works according to the radar principle model, that is, the electromagnetic wave emitted is reflected after hitting the target, and carries back the target information at the same time. It is based on the spatial propagation law of electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic backscatter coupling method is generally suitable for long-range radio frequency identification systems working at high frequencies and microwaves, and the identification range is greater than one meter. A Chinese company has produced a golf ball with a built-in electronic tag according to an order from the United States to facilitate the search after the ball is lost.

2.2.2 Basic workflow of RFID technology system

The reader sends out a radio frequency signal of a certain frequency through the transmitting antenna. When the target object with the tag attached enters the working area of ​​the transmitting antenna, an induced current is generated. The electronic tag uses the energy obtained from the induced current to send out the product information stored in the chip, or actively sends a signal of a certain frequency. The reader demodulates and decodes the carrier signal sent by the electronic tag received by the receiving antenna, and sends it to the data management system for related processing. The data management system determines the legitimacy of the electronic tag based on logical operations, and makes corresponding processing and control for different settings.

3 Current application of RFID technology in sports

3.1 Application of RFID technology in ticketing system

The 2006 World Cup in Germany was the first large-scale application of RFID tickets in the sports field. 3.5 million tickets for 64 matches in 12 venues were all RFID tickets. The Beijing Olympics had 28 major events and 38 sub-events, about 2,173 matches, and more than 7 million tickets all used RFID identification technology. China has already used this technology in the 2005 Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup. The use of RFID tickets provides security for the game. The electronic tag of the ticket stores the identity information of the ticket purchaser. The ticket holder who enters the venue to watch the game must have the same identity as the ticket purchaser, which effectively prevents the occurrence of security problems from the source. The use of RFID tickets can also effectively prevent the occurrence of fake tickets and scalpers, and can increase the speed of ticket checking.

3.2 Application of RFID technology in football matches

A Fraunhofer ray research institute in Erlangen, Germany, had already developed an RFID technology system for football matches before the 2006 World Cup. This system has RFID electronic chips inside the football and on the players. The reader scans the entire field at a rate of 2000~./min to determine the position of the players and the ball on the field in all phases. This system can not only help referees resolve controversial goals and out-of-bounds penalties, but also provide strong technical support for team coaches to analyze the technical and tactical application of players on the field.

3.3 Application of RFID technology in racing competitions

Champion Chip pioneered the use of RFID technology in the 1994 Berlin Marathon. Electronic tags with personal information were attached to the athletes. The information was collected by readers at the start, end and on the way, which more accurately monitored the process of the race and determined the athletes' performance. Since then, various road races, cross-country skiing, decathlons and other competitions have used RFID technology, which has greatly improved the time efficiency. In the Broloppet Half Marathon in June 2000, a record 79,837 participants were timed. RFID technology has been widely used in motorcycle track races, bicycle track races and other speed races.

4 Application prospects of RFID technology in sports

4.1 Application of RFID technology in measuring track and field competition results

At present, the distance measurement of field events in high-level track and field competitions usually uses laser rangefinders, which requires referees to quickly find the first landing point after the athlete throws the equipment and use the measuring pole to measure the competition results, which still causes human errors. If RFID technology is used, electronic tags can be built into throwing equipment such as shot put and javelin, and the distance between the first landing point of the equipment and the measurement starting point can be collected by the reading and writing system. The competition results can be obtained in the first time, which improves work efficiency and effectively reduces the human errors of referees in finding the landing point. As mentioned above, the use of radio frequency identification technology in track events can accurately and quickly measure the competition results of a large number of participating athletes.

4.2 Application of RFID technology in ball games

Although RFID technology is used in ball games such as golf and football, it is still in an experimental stage and has certain technical difficulties. The Hawkeye system used in tennis games has gradually been accepted and recognized by the audience, posing new challenges to the traditional referee system and bringing a new appreciation experience to sports audiences. The Hawkeye system simulates the flight path and landing point of a tennis ball by setting up multiple high-speed cameras on the field to capture the flight trajectory of the tennis ball. If multiple electronic tags are set inside spheres such as tennis and volleyball, the flight path of the ball and the changes in the sphere can be detected, and the accurate judgment of the landing point of the ball can be achieved, which improves the accuracy of referee enforcement and helps coaches conduct in-depth analysis of the tactics of their own team and opponents.

5 Conclusion

Competitive sports are becoming more and more intense, and have gradually become an important focus of mass media attention. The fairness of the competition has attracted much attention. The use of modern technology in competitive sports allows it to partially play the role of referee. Although the pressure on the referee on the scene will suddenly increase, and each of their penalties may be strongly questioned. From the perspective of sports ethics, it may be somewhat different from tradition. However, the use of the Hawkeye system in tennis matches is successful from a technical perspective. A Hawkeye system costs several million dollars, while the operating cost of radio frequency identification technology is relatively low, and it should become an important development direction for the research and application of sports science and technology.