Development of an Automatic Timing and Distance Measurement System for Sports Performance Testing

Abstract

This paper aimed to develop and evaluate an automated timing and distance measurement system for sports performance testing, focusing on improving measurement accuracy, operational stability, and data management efficiency. The proposed system utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller as the core processing unit, integrated with piezoelectric pressure sensors to detect touch signals at both start and end points. Real-time data transmission between primary and secondary units is achieved via the UDP protocol, while the system architecture is designed to minimize signal interference and processing errors. System performance was evaluated under both laboratory and field conditions, including sensor sensitivity, touch detection across various surface types, timing accuracy, data visualization, and storage capability. Experimental results indicated that a sensor threshold value of 220 provided the optimal balance between sensitivity and detection stability. The system achieved an average communication latency of 12.7 ms and a timing error within ±0.02 s compared to a standard stopwatch. Furthermore, the system demonstrated efficient real-time data recording and visualization through an online dashboard. Field test results confirmed its suitability for practical applications in sports performance assessment, with potential for future extension toward advanced data analytics and intelligent training systems.