Sponsored by: University of St. Thomas Track & Field Team
Project Summary
The current measuring system for the University of St. Thomas (UST) Track and Field team's horizontal jumps is inefficient, and commercially available solutions are too expensive. The Senior design team was tasked with improving the current measuring procedure for future track and field meets. The design of the horizontal measuring system (HMS) was referenced from an existing system but with improvements from the Senior design team. A few improvement factors included making the new system capable of disassembling into shorter pieces, simultaneously measuring from different offsets based on jump boards, and the ease of setting the system up with a quick alignment process.
Design Goal
The goal of this project is to create an affordable, working product to facilitate the process of measuring horizontal jumps at track and field meets.
Design Constraints
The system shall:
- Have a total length between 4 to 6 meters.
- Be resistant to acute weather.
- Measure the total distance jumped by an athlete.
- Function at the indoor and outdoor sand pits.
- Be capable of reorientation to fit the footprints of the sand pits.
- Have 2 laser carriages to simultaneously measure side-by-side sand pits.
- Last up to +10 hours, i.e., battery life.
- Fit through a standard door frame (detached) during transportation.
- Have accessible knobs for the connection points.
Horizontal Measuring System prototype
Members of the Project Team
Student Team:
- Gaofeng Xiong - Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Jack B. Weber - Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Ezra D. Wells - Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Ismaiil Nur - Major: Mechanical Engineering
Industry Representative: Preston J. Huddleston
Faculty Advisor: Christopher Haas
Pictured left to right: Gaofeng Xiong, Jack B. Weber, Ezra D. Wells, Ismaiil Nur