Sports coaches will soon be able to track the precise position of players on the pitch as they train, and play their moves back later. Systems Engineering and Assessment of Frome in Somerset, UK, has patented a way to do this (WO 03/056356) using small radio transmitters worn by the players – and without needing a separate frequency for each player.
The transmitters continually hop between a few frequencies, but each one hops in a unique sequence that identifies the player. Receivers at the pitch-side triangulate the transmitter’s position and analyse the hop pattern to distinguish one player from another. The…
