One timing kit for a school's swimming gala and its athletics sports day: start from the horn or gun, every lane timed, one results app
Software: No subscription required
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How it fits together
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01
The whole SchoolMeet
One MeetBox hears the start, tells every stop button and finish pole, works out the times for the pool or the track, and shows them in one app.
02Brain
MeetBox (Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3)
The brain: it runs the schoolmeet-box program
03
Start mic
Hears the horn, gun, clapper or whistle and marks the start
MeetBox (Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3) · Analog in (ADC) · Sound level; onset found in under 2 ms (est.)
04
Start flash sensor
Sees a gun flash or starter lamp; light beats sound when it is seen
MeetBox (Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3) · Analog in through an MCP6001 amp · Flash pulse
05
TapGrip stop buttons
One per timekeeper: pressed at the touch in the pool, or for a hidden runner at the track
MeetBox (Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3) · ESP-NOW radio · Lane, grip and time since the start
06
Finish pole timing beam
Times each torso across the finish line and gives its range, which is the lane
MeetBox (Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3) · UART to the pole's XIAO, then ESP-NOW · Crossing time and range
07
Finish pole confirm beam
Confirms a torso crossed, so an arm or knee alone never stops the clock
MeetBox (Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3) · UART to the pole's XIAO · Chest crossing yes or no
08
All connected
6 key parts, one program, and your phone
What it is
One start unit, eight stop buttons and two finish poles, with one results app, for a school's gala and sports day.
What it does
Who it's for
Schools and multi-sport clubs that run their own swimming galas and athletics days.
How the parts connect
Every part, what links it to the brain, and how the data reaches your phone. A solid line is a cable; a dashed line is a radio link.
The program
void loop() {
if (!armed) { serveApp(); return; }
uint64_t t0 = waitStart(flashPin, micPin, lineJack, cfg.gunDistM); // flash > line > sound
espNowBroadcast(START, t0);
Race race = collectUntil(cfg.mode, cfg.lanes, RACE_TIMEOUT);
Results r = (cfg.mode == POOL) ? galaEngine(race) // 2 of 3 agree / middle / average
: schoolRace(race, race.gripPresses); // lane = range / 1.22 m
publish(r); appendCsv(r);
armed = false;
}To your phone
Organiser's tablet; place judge and referee phones
One screen for each job SchoolMeet does.
Swimming galaAt the school gala, timekeepers press a grip as each swimmer touches. The app works out each lane's time from the grips.
Sports dayOn sports day, two poles at the finish time each runner and read the lane. A judge taps the order; a grip times anyone hidden.
Sprint trainingIn a PE lesson, the same poles stand 10 m apart as sprint gates. Each pupil's split shows as they cross.
App screens with sample data. The interface is in development.
| Pool lane time | Lane 4: 32.45 (3 grips, 2 agree) | Each race at the gala |
|---|---|---|
| Track place and time | 1st L2 13.42 · 2nd L5 13.61 (grip) | Each heat on sports day |
| Start | By flash, or by sound moved 8.7 ms earlier at 3 m | Each race |
| Flags | Lane 3 read past 4 m: check | When a reading needs a person |
| Sprint split | 10 m: 1.84 s | Each rep at training |
Pupils are lane numbers or first names entered by the school. No camera in the base kit. Results stay on the MeetBox until the organiser exports them.
CAD design · Design rev A, 27 Oct 2026: CAD, fit checks, assembled finish-line model and race checks done; not built
| AI processor | MeetBox: Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3, the one brain |
|---|---|
| Sensors | MAX9814 start mic and BPW34 flash sensor in the MeetBox, plus a wired start-line jack · 8 TapGrips with 19 mm waterproof stop buttons · 2 SplitPoles, each with a TFmini Plus hip beam and a TF-Luna chest beam |
| Connectivity | ESP-NOW radio between the MeetBox, grips and poles · MeetBox Wi-Fi access point for the app |
| Power | MeetBox about 16 h with Wi-Fi on (est.); TapGrips several galas per charge (est.); SplitPoles about 6.4 h armed on an 18650 (est.) |
| Enclosure | UV-stable ASA cases; TapGrips in white and orange ASA with a waterproof button |
| Dimensions | MeetBox 86 × 52 × 31 mm; TapGrip 36 × 30 × 126 mm; SplitPole heads on a 1 inch agility pole |
| Weight | ~3 kg for the kit in its bag (est.) |
| Ingress rating | Splash and rain (IP54 target); TapGrip button IP67 |
| Pool | Up to 8 lanes, 1 to 3 grips per lane |
|---|---|
| Track | 6 lanes read by 2 finish poles; place judge on a phone |
| Start | Horn, gun, clapper, whistle, flash or wired start line |
| Training | Sprint splits with the SplitPoles |
| Shown to | 0.01 s, plus a hand-time equivalent rounded up |
|---|---|
| Export | CSV |
| Set-up | About 10 minutes per venue |
Targets for production units; they may change during development.
Hardware: $899 per kit: MeetBox, 8 TapGrips and 2 finish SplitPoles
Software: No subscription required
Target pricing. Bought separately, GalaTime ($599) and the MeetTime Kit ($499) add up to $1,098. Parts cost about $571 per kit at qty 1 (est.).
$899
Gala and sports day timing in one bag.
$49
For 3 timekeepers per lane or more lanes.
Indicative launch pricing in USD, excluding taxes and shipping. Final pricing is confirmed before any balance is charged.
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From the product lab · ideation phase
It does the job of SplitBlock GalaTime and SplitPole MeetTime, and the SplitPoles still work as sprint gates at training. Separately GalaTime ($599) and MeetTime ($499) cost $1,098; SchoolMeet is $899 (target), with one start unit and one app.
No. It is a timing aid for school and club events. It is not fully automatic timing and not for records. The referee and the place judge decide every time and place.
The place judge's order keeps the place, and a volunteer with a TapGrip presses as that runner crosses. The grip got the same start message, so its time starts from the gun, not from a thumb.
No camera in the base kit. Pupils are lane numbers or first names the school enters. The LanePod camera add-on from SplitBlock is optional and needs the school's sign-off.
No. It is a concept in design. The CAD and fit checks are done, but it has not been built or tested. We are not taking orders, reservations or deposits.
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Concept · target $899