ABSTRACT
With the ever-growing needs and society demands of today, technology has become a necessary component in each aspect of life. The field of sports science has adopted technology applications as an integral part of improving performance and athletic achievement. In developed countries, different kinds of sports science centers and laboratories have been set up with advanced test and measurement devices which are supported by reliable human resources. This study aimed to develop software and hardware for measuring running speed using a microcontroller with a personal computer interface. The assembly of the device comprises a circuit-based electronics microcontroller, phototransistor sensors and laser beams to collect signals from athletes and send them to a microcontroller for processing on a personal computer interface for display via connector cabling. In the process, a Research and Development (R&D) approach was used to help assemble the system’s components. The system consisted of eight sensors spread over 100 meters, intended to detect running speed during a 100-meter sprint race. The device was designed to operate automatically in synchronization with the race-start buzzer, monitoring the sprint from start to finish, and then display the results of the race time and speed to a computer interface.
