Can RFID Be Used for Racing?

Do RFID readers register the time at which each tag passes? And if so, is the tags' location data recorded?

—Sean

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Sean,

Virtually all passive RFID readers record the time at which a tag is interrogated, and they typically store the tag ID number, a date stamp and their own unique ID. So if, for example, you knew that reader 12345 was located at a certain point along the race, you would then know which tags had passed that point at the time noted in the date stamp.

There are a number of race-timing solutions available on the market. The following articles might be helpful to you:

Startup Offers 'Fail-safe' RFID Race-Timing System

UHF Tags Enter the Timing Race

Australian Race-Timing Company Finds Battery-assisted UHF Tags a Winning Solution

Zoomius Takes Motorsports Timing on a New Course

RFID News Roundup: RFID Keeps Time With Seattle Marathon Runners

UHF Solution Tracks 42,000 Runners at the New York City Marathon

Gen 2 Tags Track Runner, Motorcycle Speeds

How Would I Set Up a Lap-Counting System With RFID Tags for Each Competitor?

—Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal