© pict rider - Fotolia.com
RedFIR® is a state-of-the-art wireless tracking technology that locates people and objects in real time and with high precision. Compared to current video-based approaches, this radio-based technology offers a major advantage: its tracking capability is not diminished by obstacles obscuring the line of sight. The RedFIR® real-time tracking system is more responsive, accurate and flexible than any comparable technology.
Radio-frequency and microwave engineering has been a core competency of Fraunhofer IIS for more than 20 years.
Our 50 scientists work on the wireless technologies of tomorrow. Many small, mid-sized and large companies rely on our ability to innovate in the areas of wireless communications, tracking and antenna technology.
Fraunhofer IIS’s 25-strong Department of Locating and Communication Systems is currently working on angle-of-arrival, time-of-flight and event detection methods and applications.
Are you looking for a cutting-edge technology that allows you to collect and analyze data on soccer training sessions in real time? Then RedFIR® is the ideal solution. Collecting location data, the system identifies the positions and movement patterns of players and the ball. It then provides exactly the information you require in the form of animated graphics.
However, RedFIR® is equally suited to other sports and applications in other fields. Based on your requirements, Fraunhofer IIS can develop a solution tailored to your particular application. To this end, we have state-of-the-art measurement technology at our disposal as well as a dedicated testing facility for simulating application scenarios. We use a tried and tested hardware design flow from simulation to circuit design through to PCB manufacture and assembly. Let us put our expertise to work for you. We offer a complete service from initial concept to custom-developed solution to finished product.
People or objects are equipped with tiny transmitters, whose signals are picked up by a number of antennas placed around the area under observation. The receiver units process the collected signals and determine their times of arrival. Based on a calculation of the differences in propagation delay, each transmitter’s position is then continuously determined. In addition, a computer network integrated with the system can analyze the position data so as to detect specific events. Operating in the 2.4 GHz band, the system is globally license-free.
The transmitters used are tiny, making it easy to embed them in footwear, uniforms and balls. Impact-resistant and waterproof, they are characterized by extreme ruggedness. Their batteries last three to four hours and can be wirelessly recharged.
The reception infrastructure comprises several receiver units positioned around the area under observation. These are connected to a central unit which synchronizes the receivers and calculates the times of arrival of the burst-type signals with the aid of FPGA-based PCI plug-in cards.
The receiver units are constantly being optimized in terms of cost, flexibility and system features.
The collected data is pooled in a Linux-based computer network which comprises a number of standard servers interconnected via Ethernet. Dedicated system software calculates each transmitter’s position in real time and allows the information to be immediately displayed on a 3D user interface. When used during a soccer game, for instance, the system makes it possible to visualize the positions of players and the ball on a virtual soccer field. The computer network, along with the associated software, is also being enhanced on an ongoing basis with a view to minimizing resource usage.
A software component known as an “event observer” enables automatic detection of specific events that are relevant to the given application. The event observer detects a large variety of basic events such as possession of the ball, passes, crosses, goal attempts and shots on goal along with physical data such as step count, distance covered, activity type (standing, walking, jogging, running or sprinting) and speed. A fraction of a second later, the information is made available via a user interface.
Based on the user’s requirements, any number of additional events can be defined. All event data is automatically stored in a database, on the basis of which statistical analyses are run.
RedFIR® is unrivaled worldwide as a tool for analyzing performance in team sports, making it possible to objectively analyze games and assess players against a consistent set of criteria.
RedFIR® can provide sports audiences with a wealth of information. For instance, television viewers might be shown the length of a pass or the speed at which a player is running. Sports reporters also stand to benefit: With RedFIR®, they will able to tell viewers exactly how wide a shot went or whether a striker is being more effective than in his previous game.
RedFIR® enables media companies to make televised team sports events more exciting to watch, thus increasing viewership. TV networks will be able to produce 3D animations of entire games. A 3D fly-through animation of an individual play takes only seconds to generate.
Presenters and pundits will be given the opportunity to analyze and illustrate complex maneuvers with the help of 3D animation. Statistics and tables can be presented on screen for the benefit of both viewers at home and spectators in the stadium. Using a standardized database, it becomes possible to systematically compare game and player performances.
Instead of wading through hours of footage, soccer clubs and television networks will be able to tap into large soccer databases maintained by service companies.
Coaches will have tailored information at their fingertips, which will allow them to systematically assess a team’s potential, test new or prospective players, use them in virtual games and simulate tactics or even entire games. Combining this radio-based system with camera images will create an ideal basis for meaningful automated data analysis.
RedFIR® can also be used in sports like rugby or track and field as well as in other contexts. Wherever fast-moving objects need to be tracked with precision, RedFIR® is the ideal solution.
This is how our specialized technology can be put to effective use in your environment: we will start by identifying your needs through consultation with you. Based on the derived application requirements, we will then assemble a team of experts especially for you. Within a short period of time, the team will prepare a project plan for designing and developing the software and if applicable the hardware specially tailored to your needs. Furthermore maintenance and installation of computer software can be included in case it is needed.
You can also use RedFIR® for other sports. We will be happy to assist you and incorporate your specific preferences, for instance by enlarging the area that can be monitored or by optimizing the sampling rate and the distribution of the transmitters.
RedFIR® has been trialed during a number of exhibition games and training sessions at a former Soccer World Cup stadium in Nuremberg, Germany. The data collected on these occasions is being utilized to further enhance the system. In Dublin, Ireland, the system has been used for a rugby application.
Contact us for obtaining the software, licencing the technology or working together on your special use case.
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS