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Post by scottbrown on Apr 4, 2010 9:24:38 GMT -6
I'm interested in meeting up with anyone in the Houston area that owns and understands the workings of the wireless sabre devices. I'm contemplating having a similar mechanism developed for historical fencing but I need a bit more of an education and some hands on experience. Any help is greatly appreciated. Please respond here, PM, or email scott@wmacoalition.comThanks in advance.
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Post by Rudy Volkmann on Apr 4, 2010 13:30:09 GMT -6
Hi-- Contact Dan DeChaine at Dan DeChaine < BigDan@Keyway.net> He's presently out of the country armouring the world team with Matt Porter. Ted Li at ted li < tli@pingry.org> can also give you all the technical details. There is a special undergarment which must be worn; each fencer actually has an entire battery-powered scoring box on them -- each box sends its signal to the main box with the large lights. It's pretty pricey. Rudy Volkmann, DMA
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Post by Ted Li on Apr 4, 2010 15:55:21 GMT -6
As Rudy indicated, each fencer carries a complete scoring system (contained within a mask mounted unit) with the lights (LEDs) mounted inside the mask. As a part of the system (currently only manufactured and supported by STM), the fencers need to wear special, conductive Tee-shirt (cost approximately $70.) because their bodies act as capacitors. The entire system is rather expensive, and I'm not aware of anyone in the US who owns one. Whenever the USFA holds a World Cup in Sabre, the system, along with two (2) factory technicians is rented from STM at a considerable cost.
Not only does the system idnciate touches by the LED's mounted in the masks, it also sends a signal to a central unit which is attached to any standard scoring machine.
Ted Li
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Post by swordmaster on Apr 5, 2010 8:41:04 GMT -6
Scott, I don't know if you remember or not the Estoc reel-less system you saw in France when you traveled there with Jack and me. It is somewhat different than the StM system in that the fencers do not wear the scoring system. They only wear a transmitter which send a wireless signal (similar to a RC controlled car) to a receiver which is contained in a scoring machine. This signal is converted into "touches" both valid and non-valid depending on the weapon you are using. In Sabre, the fencer wears a glove on his non-weapon hand that has a lame lining so that the system is connected to the fencers body - similar to the undershirt that is worn in the StM system. This connection is vital to the operation of both systems since a "capacitance" must be maintained in the body of the fencers so that is system can detect the difference between the lamed and non-lamed (valid and non-valid) surfaces on the fencers. Both systems are quite advanced and would take someone with more than just an advanced knowledge of electronics and radio controlled devices to duplicate. Possibly the best person to approach with this idea (designing something in the USA to use in "Historical" sword play) would be the designer of the VSM, Shawn Hart jshart@virtualscoringmachine.com . Shawn seems to have a grasp on the issues as they relate to scoring in fencing. I don't know if he would be willing to pursue the wireless angle, but it wouldnt hurt to ask. If you are interested in purchasing an Estoc machine, I know that they are used widely in France and installed in Salles there, you can contact Michel Palisse at escrime@wanadoo.fr . He may be able to help you. Last I checked they system with enough equipment to allow two fencers to play cost around 2500 Euro. But it is not FCC approved, so it would have to be purchased in Europe and then "brought" back to the states. I used to have one that was used in a demo at the Summer Nationals in Austin (2001) but I had to take it back to France to be reworked and I have yet to see it since. I still have all the connecting cables, weapons, and gloves for the system - along with the crono and score portion of the system. Let me know if you are interested in any or all of it and I will make you a deal!
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Post by schlager7 on Apr 5, 2010 18:16:07 GMT -6
I got confused reading Swordmaster's post until I realized his understandable confusion. Swordmaster: The "Scott Brown" who posted the request is not the Scott Brown you know (Fencing Coach at the University of St. Thomas seen here: st-thomasfencing.2itb.com/), but an entirely different Scott Brown involved in historical fencing, also base in the Houston area (and seen near the bottom of this webpage: www.alliance-fencing-academy.com/HistoricalFencing.html) I was wondering when this turn of events would make life confusing...
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Post by swordmaster on Apr 14, 2010 12:41:07 GMT -6
Oops! I was assuming that there was only one Scott Brown invoved with swords in Houston! My Mistake!
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Post by schlager7 on Apr 14, 2010 17:28:24 GMT -6
What can I say? It's a big city.
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