Keywords

Low cost Scoring device for fencing (escrime, esgrima, fechten, scherma)

Introduction

The goal of this project is to create a fully functional (according to FIE rules) and feature rich (including timer, score, cards, priority, remote control, possibility to add repeaters ...) scoring device for fencing. There are number of related goals:

• Provide a platform to easily add extra features like (wireless) repeaters, connection to video refereeing systems, integrate in competition management systems, provide data for repetition boards ...
• Cooperate with the worldwide fencing community to improve, share and test new ideas

The design goals are:

• Lowest possible cost (currently well below 25-30 €)
• Using only readily available components and modules
• Require limited expertise to assemble
• Designed in a modular way such that depending on the need and available budgets, extra features can be added
• Serve as a development / experimentation platform for future "paperless competitions"
• Possibility to integrate in fixed set-ups

The entire design is build around a ESP32 development module. This results in low cost with a lot of features like networking (Wifi) and BlueTooth, allowing the scoring device to be used in modern competitions.

The remote control is implemented as an application running on an Android mobile device.

The device supports the RS422-FPA serial protocol and Cyrano (Ethernet Fencing Protocol 1.1).

Also unwillingness to fight (pasivité, non-combativité) is supported:

• there is a visualisation of the elapsed time with no hit
• P-cards can be shown on the device

Preview

Below are some pictures of a first prototype. The whole design nicely fits into a "lunch box". To achieve the low cost, the lights modules are re-used to show coloured valid and non-valid hits (white cross), orange "mass" lights, cards and priority. The text module shows the score, the time, and the match count in an alternating way (when the timer is not running). To further reduce the cost, there are no buttons on the device. To achieve this, there is an automatic weapon detection mechanism: just connect the 2 fencers, make a double valid hit during 5 seconds, and the device will automatically detect which weapon is being used: epee, foil or sabre. Alternatively, the weapon can be selected using the mobile app. The remote control is an app running on any mobile device (tablet or phone). Currently only Android devices are supported.

Valid lights	non-valid lights

Below set of images show Priority for Left, mass Light for the right fencer, Yellow and Red Cards for both fencers, and alternating the period, the score and the time.

Showing Period	Showing Score	Showing Time

P-Cards	Unwillingness 2 Fight timer

Internals of the device being powered from a standard USB power bank.(first prototype)