Video Distance Measurement (VDM) Testing With Mark Heckel At The World Junior Championships

USATF Field Official Mark Heckel

First...

Just woke up a few minutes ago to the sound of . . . ducks! Today is "test meet" day at the World Junior Championships here at Oregon. WE had an interesting walk through with the Seiko folks yesterday, especially with our first look at video distance measurement.
The premise is quite simple - two high speed (7 frames per second) high definition cameras are focused on the pit and calibrated. As the jumper leaves the board, they perform their own capture sequence. The software picks the most likely landing frame from all the frames it collects, and the images are displayed side-by-side. You then place a cursor, that has a superimposed line that indicates where it is parallel to the take-off board, at the landing point in the sand, on each view. The distance is then computed.
What's really cool is that this can all be done from the top of the stands! We will be situated some 30-40 meters from the pit, at the top of Hayward field, and the cameras capturing the images will be BEHIND us. You can zoom in to get the exact location of the landing as well. There is no reflector in the pit, no marker at all in the pit. It will be interesting to see it in action today.
I'm looking forward to working with our crew and getting to see this new way for us to do electronic measurement. Video and a new training will be forthcoming.

Then...

Well, the test meet yesterday went OK (as test meets go, I guess), but today, when we had to put things into action, it was REALLY interesting.
The VDM method for measurement is REALLY exciting! I have to tell you that we had no issues with using it, and in the decathlon long jump (with 17 competitors in my pit), we had a very easy day. There were a few times when I wanted to look at the before and after images, and to see the changes in the surface of the landing area, from a distance of about 35-40 meters, and see them better than you could with the naked eye - was incredible.
I will post some video later, but the clarity and the speed at which we not only got the images, but how quickly they were measured, was even more impressive that I thought it would be. I didn't clock it today, but i will tomorrow morning. I'm really curious to see how quick we are between jumps.
The other aspect of using the VDM is that each jump is recorded. At 7 frames per second, starting with approximately the take-off from the board and ending about +2 seconds after the athlete lands, really allows you to see the changes in the surface, and to get the most accurate mark - perhaps too accurate, since you can togle the images back and forth to look for even the slightest changes in the landing surface.
The groomers on both pits did a great job, keeping the surface almost drag smooth. We found that if they raked and brushed parallel to the scratch line, we could get very good, clear images of the landing and the changes in the surface.
By using radio communication between ourselves, the pit boss and the athlete control judge (i.e. flight coordinator), we were able to keep things moving, and clear from clutter. In reailty, one could perhaps conduct the vent with as few as 5 officials - 2 in the landing ares to groom, a board judge, a timing/wind gauge judge, and the athlete control judge. But, don't be scared - I'm not advocating taking away positions! You still need your plasticine folks, and a chief free to handle issues that come up.
It was a bit different not seeing anyone in the landing area with a stick or reflector, and to only see the board judge raise a flag and place and remove a cone, but I thought these things made the competition better to watch.

Here is a short (< 7 minutes) video that is a raw explanation of the VDM (video distance measurement) technology being used at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championship in Eugene. I will be producing a better version, under the TFO Training Associates label, when I get home. For now, view and enjoy!