Implementación de un prototipo de sistema electrónico de detección de contactos y registro de tiempos como coporte en la determinación de faltas en el circuito de agility canino

Abstract

This thesis project aims to design, develop, and implement an electronic system prototype for automated contact detection and timekeeping in canine agility courses, serving as a support tool for officiating in official competitions and training sessions. The system minimizes the margin of error associated with human visual judgment by incorporating sensing technologies and embedded processing. The proposed solution involves implementing a network of piezoresistive sensors made from Velostat material; this allows for the detection of variations in surface pressure exerted by dogs as they traverse specific contact zones on obstacles, in accordance with international regulations. Concurrently, a timing system based on HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensors is integrated to start and stop the course timer automatically with an accuracy of less than 5 ms. Both systems connect to a processing unit based on an ESP32 microcontroller, which handles signal acquisition, conditioning, and real-time data transmission. The collected data is sent to a dedicated web platform that displays course times and records whether each participant made contact with the obstacles. This interface is designed for use by judges, trainers, and the general public. The prototype was validated in a controlled environment simulating an agility competition, evaluating parameters such as timing accuracy, Velostat sensor detection sensitivity, processing latency, and inter-module communication stability. The results demonstrate favorable performance compared to traditional methods, offering a low-cost, scalable system. This proposal contributes to the development of sports technology tools, promotes transparency in decision-making during competitions, and represents a step forward in the digital transformation of officiating in canine agility.