Project Overview

Background

While turf tracks are more visually appealing for horse racing, the usage of this track surface presents a unique set of potential problem areas. The turf grass is measured to be approximately 4.25 inches in length, which can cause difficulties when performing routine track maintenance. In a dirt track surface, any inconsistencies in the level of the surface can be easily spotted by eye. However, grass blades prevent the easy visual identification of imperfections. As horses run on the track, their hooves can create divots in this surface ranging from a few inches to nearly a foot wide. Furthermore, the type of grass itself introduces additional layers of consideration due to different root systems effecting how much grass is pulled upwards with each pass. The severity of this problem is increased with each additional lap taken by horses, as they can hit the same spot in the track and increase the divot size significantly. Each of these divots pose a hazard to the safety of the horses and their jockeys, so there is a need to create a system to easily identify divots independent of the obstruction caused by the grass blades. 

Standards

The main source for standards in this project come from Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA, 2022) HISA Rule 2150 is “Racetrack and Racing Surface Monitoring and Maintenance”, which outlines the need to have an approved racetrack surface and regular assessment for maintenance or future maintenance. “The rule enhances racetrack welfare by reducing racehorse attrition due to career-ending or catastrophic injuries. The rule enhances the social perception of racing by the public by preventing catastrophic injuries during racing” (HISA, 2022). 

HISA Testing and Investigations Standards.pdf

Additional Standards Referenced in Design Report:

I2C Serial Communication 

This is used for communication between the microcontroller and sensors.

Electrical and Electronic Systems Journal from ASABE

This set of standards specifically outlines the use of batteries as power supplies, which is the primary source of power in this design.  



References

Special thanks to Mr. Alfredo and the other grounds men at Keeneland for allowing us to use the track to gather data, and for being a valuable resource in our own learning throughout the design process. Also, special thanks to Dr. Alicia Modenbach and Dr. Mick Peterson for their help and guidance throughout the semester.

Acme Plastics

Acme Plastics (2023) What is acrylic plexiglass? Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://www.acmeplastics.com/what-is-acrylic-plexiglass

ADE Turf

ADEturf. (2023, March 27). Leading Destination for all your Golf and Turf Equipment needs in Melbourne, Victoria. April 15, 2023 , from https://adeturf.com.au/

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers

ASABE. (2006). Off-Road Vehicle Engineering Principles. Electrical and Electronic Systems, Chapter 10, 205-254.

Turfgrass Society

Bonos, SA,  Weibel, EN,  Honig, J,  Murphy, JA,  Hoffman-Chappell, L, and  Meyer, WA. (2022).  Divot recovery of cool-season turfgrass species and mixtures in low maintenance fairways. Int Turfgrass Soc Res J.  2022; 14: 583– 596. https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.27

Circuit Basics

Campbell, S. (2021, November 14). Basics of the I2C communication protocol. Circuit Basics. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.circuitbasics.com/basics-of-the-i2c-communication-protocol/

HISA

HISA. (2022, July 1). The Federal Register. Federal Register.  Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/01/05/2021-28513/hisa-racetracksafety

Sparkfun Electronics

Klyamerov, Konstantin, et al. (2021). Development of Range Finder Based on Ultrasonic Distance Sensor HC-SR04. Sparkfun Electronics, Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.30987/conferencearticle_61c997f037f3f9.88585937. 

SparkFun Electronics. (2020, December 18) HC-SR04 Datasheet by SparkFun Electronics. Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04 40 kHz Datasheet

National Library of Medicine

Nakashima, Shota, et al. (2016). Application of Ultrasonic Sensors in Road Surface Condition Distinction Methods. National Library of Medicine, 66-92.

Sensor Array

Ohtani, Kozo, and Mitsuru Bab. (2012). Shape Recognition and Position Measurement of an Object Using an Ultrasonic Sensor Array. Sensor Array. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.5772/36115

PCB Recycling

Patel, S. (2022, July 08). PCB recycling: How to Recycle Circuit Boards - Candor. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://www.candorind.com/pcb-recycling/

STEC Equipment

STECequipment. (2023, March 27). Natural Turf Equipment: Cutters, Tilers, & Aerators. Specialized Turf Equipment | Golf Course and Sports Turf Management. Retrieved April 29, 2023, from https://stecequipment.com/natural/

Trenton Systems

Trick, Christopher (2022, December 13). What is an IP67 rating?.  Trusted Computing Innovator; Trenton Systems, 1-2. Retrieved December 9, 2022

Remote Sensing

Zribi, Mehrez, et al. (2020) Editorial for the Special Issue “Soil Moisture Retrieval using Radar Remote Sensing Sensors, 12 Retrieved March 3rd, 2020 from https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12071100