Every year there are hundreds of competitive canoe-kayak and rowing races across the globe. In the spirit of fairness it’s expected that all athletes comply with the competition rules, including the way of entering the start gates.
A fundamental problem is that the starter judge may be hundred meters away from the start line and the athletes. To overcome such difficulties Polaritas developed a two-part (Start Video and Aligner View) system, which helps the starter judge in clear observation and decision-making.
The Aligner View System is a multi-camera system, which is a useful aid for the judges to execute the starts during the canoe-kayak and rowing races.
Robust, weatherproof cameras are mounted on each post of the Automatic Starting System close to the start gates. The live video streams are transferred to the connected computer sitting in the control tower, where judges can view the close-up videos of each gate simultaneously. Such system, in harmony with the transparent start gates, allows the judges to confirm each boat’s position on or around the start line.
In a rowing start there are two phases when the Aligner View System may help the judges:
1. Before raising the gates. The aligner judge observes whether the area above the gates is empty and warns the athlete(s) if correction is needed. Once the area is clear, the aligner judge informs the control tower.
2. After raising the gates to the water surface. The aligner judge checks the tips of the boats entering into the start gates and instructs the athletes to paddle into the correct position, if needed.
For canoe-kayak races only the second phase may apply.
