Article
New features of the photo finish software
Optimised lens power management – Lens Power Management
In some photo finish systems the motorised lenses stay powered all the time. Besides wasting energy, this gradually wears the lens's internal parts and shortens its life. This new feature gives full software control over the lens power supply: the operator can switch the lens off whenever it is not in use and turn it back on when needed. After the first version of the system, the company added an electronic lens-power switch to the hardware of newer versions.
✔ Longer lens life
✔ Lower risk of failure of the lens's focus and aperture motor control board
✔ Lower energy consumption
✔ Greater long-term system reliability
Smart autofocus system – Intelligent Auto Focus System
Correct focus is one of the most important factors in photo finish image quality. The smallest focus error can affect judging and the determination of rankings. This system uses an image sharpness analysis algorithm to evaluate focus quality in real time. It displays the result on a color bar (red, yellow and green). The operator can adjust focus manually or fully automatically.
✔ Fast achievement of the best possible focus
✔ Less reliance on operator experience
✔ Prevents out-of-focus images from being recorded
✔ Higher-quality race images
✔ Faster system set-up before races
Advanced image enhancement package – Advanced Image Enhancement Suite
Image quality has a direct impact on the speed and accuracy of judging. This package provides the system with a set of image processing algorithms to produce the best possible quality under different lighting conditions.
Removal of salt-and-pepper and ambient noise, automatic enhancement of night images, automatic colour correction for day and night conditions, adjustable Black Point and White Point
Gamma optimisation, smart colour saturation control, improved image sharpness and legibility
✔ Higher-quality race output
✔ Better system performance in poor lighting
✔ Less need for manual image correction (just one click)
✔ Sharper detail at the moment of crossing the finish line
✔ More professional images for judging and archiving
Smart Auto Record and participant detection system – Intelligent Auto Record & Competitor Detection
This feature is one of the most advanced in the software and largely automates the race recording process. As soon as competitors enter the race zone, the software automatically starts recording. Empty gaps between competitors usually take up a large part of the photo finish image. The software then removes these gaps and shows all competitors in a compact, orderly and highly readable view. The recorded time of each competitor is not changed in the process. In many races, a large part of the photo finish image is empty space between the horses. By intelligently removing these spaces, this feature creates an image focused on the moment of crossing the finish line. As a result, judges can review and compare results much faster and more accurately.
✔ Eliminates errors caused by the operator forgetting to start recording
✔ Less need for constant operator supervision
✔ Saves judging time
✔ Displays all competitors in a single frame
✔ Reduces storage and archive space
✔ More legible photo finish images
✔ Faster announcement of race results
✔ Suitable for large-field and professional races
RasaAndishan photo finish comes in three models: 1000, 2000 and 3000. Model 2000 supports Canon electronic lenses. On this model, focus and light level are set from within the software. That is why features such as smart autofocus and lens power management require an electronic lens. Model 3000 adds motorized setup of the mirror and finish line.
To learn more about the principles of autofocus you can read this article. A full comparison of the models is on the Iranian-made photo finish system page.