RFID (radio frequency identification) technology has made room for itself in quite a few areas of expertise, but it is sports' turn to benefit from the advantages of this tech. Thus, researchers are extending the precision of RFID to allow for accurate monitoring of performance. A new system attached to skis can provide feedback to a coach that is much more nuanced than an old fashioned video. The system has also the potential to improve safety for those who risk their lives on giant slopes.

Whether slalom or alpine skiing, competitive skiing is all about thousandths of a second. Hence, professional athletes must constantly refine their technique. Small radio transmitters will make it possible to analyze pros’ habits more closely. Until now, coaches and athletes have been analyzing videos to identify weaknesses in technique. “An analysis was based more on instinct than concrete measured values,” explains Dr. Klaus Richter, Expert Group Manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF in Magdeburg.

 

However, this is about to change thanks to radio transmitters and receivers that can be attached to an athlete's skis and transmit radio waves in every direction, through small antennas, a thousand times per second. Although it might sound like a complicated process, it is in fact not that difficult to understand how it works.

 

This way, the antennas, placed to the front and the back of the skis, send signals to receiving stations placed alongside a slope in regular intervals, which pick them up and analyze the time a signal needs to travel from the antenna to a station, thus accurately determining an antenna’s position within three centimeters. The underlying technology is radio frequency identification or RFID.

 

This system was actually developed by the Austrian firm Abatec. However, it still needs to be perfected so that it could serve to the improvement of performance in multiple sports.

 
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