Track Pacing Robot

Abstract

Many runners would like a pacer to follow and reduce mental effort, but finding a willing training partner with a similar fitness level can be an insurmountable challenge for many, making them less likely to exercise or run as quickly as they can. A track pacing robot was designed and built to satisfy this demand for runners of all speeds. The robot was constructed using off-the-shelf components, including a radio-controlled car, and incorporates camera data to sense its environment. The range of speeds that the robot can run without any recorded failures spans from 2.12m/s to 4.76m/s. This range, equating to the range between a 12:40 mile and a 5:40 mile, is sufficient to pace noncompetitive runners, but it falls short of delivering on the goals that it was designed to satisfy.