Features of David Oksner's Senior Project
Fencing Control Box with Training Features
Most control boxes handle only two of the three weapons, have no clock, and
are only useful in a tournament (or practice run the same as a tournament).
Mine will have all three weapons, a clock/timer, and something I've never seen
(in my admittedly limited experience): training features.
At all times, the control box will be able to:
- Change the weapon type
-
Changing the weapon type resets all weapon-specific settings.
- Register On-Target
-
This is the indication of a valid, scoring touch.
- Enable/disable a clock/timer
-
When enabled, the user can set the timer to stop and alert at a
specific time, or simply count how long the bout has lasted.
- Send information via serial port
-
A serial port on the back of the box will ouput all events, along
with a "time stamp" if the clock/timer is enabled.
There are also weapon specific features:
- Register Off-Target
-
This is only appropriate for foil.
This is the indication of an invalid touch--the weapon was triggered
but did not hit a valid target.
The only off target area for épée is the floor, and
that can only be determined electrically in special circumstances.
Sabre does not register off targets, nor does it need to.
- Allow for multiple hits in a volley to be registered
-
This is only appropriate for épée.
When a valid touch is scored, all subsequent touches (by the same or
both?) within the reset period will also be indicated. For each touch,
another light will light up. (If both will be indicated, then the
lights will show in which order the touches were scored--for each
valid hit, the corresponding light for the opponent will remain unlit
and the next touch will be beyond--assuming they were not within the
appropriate time period for a "double touch.")
Because foil and sabre involve "right of way," this is not available
for these weapons.
This is an on-going list. If new features are suggested, they may be added
if the ability to add them and their effect is trivial.