Here is a handy little application, LapTrax allows you to have a lap counter by placing your smartphone next to the track.
LapTrax uses your phone’s camera to view the track and detect the car’s pass. LapTrax detects movements in front of the lens,
Configuration
Manual mode
Manual mode is simply that the phone does not detect, it is you who presses a button to signal the passage.
For counting laps, it is good but for times, it depends a lot on the reaction time of the one who presses the button.
Motion mode
This mode uses phone detection, which detects motion by comparing the difference between 2 images including motion.
Colortrax mode
I couldn’t get this mode to work and I didn’t understand the documentation well. If you have any information, I’m interested.
Link mode
This mode allows you to link multiple phones. I haven’t tested it because you need a Google application and didn’t have time to test it and above all I needed a second phone.
Common settings
Racing options
- Countdown before start procedure: 0, 5, 10 or 30 seconds
- Gatelights (starting light): off or vertical / stockcar or Horizontal / F1
- Start / end: tone or horn and buzzer
- False start detected yes or no
- Last lap announced: yes or no
- Announcer: off or slow or normal or fast
- speech: no or say lap or lap + comments
- summary: off or short or long
Detection setting
To start, you will need to find the right location for your phone to see the track well. And that the phone can stay in position without falling every time you press a button.
A bar indicates the detection level, so you can check that the vehicle is detected by the phone. Just pass in front of the phone several times.
To run a race
When you start the departure procedure, a first countdown starts. It allows you to put down the phone, take the controller, get ready.
Departure procedure
When you start the start procedure, a first countdown starts. It allows you to put down the phone, take the controller, get ready.
The start procedure begins with the lights coming on. There are several types of procedure that you can adjust in the settings.
The false start can be managed if you feel like starting before the real GO.
The race
Here we go, the seconds go by, at each passage the vehicle is detected and a sound signals it. The number of laps is displayed.
When the last lap is in progress, a little music signals it.
End of race
You cross the finish line, finally you pass in front of the phone and the race is over. The display no longer scrolls the seconds but now displays the total time of the race.
The application works perfectly for a vehicle on the track. It may be possible to detect 2 vehicles separately but I did not succeed.
RC vehicles
As you may have noticed, Laptrax detects the passage of the car but there is no requirement that it be a slot car that passes in front of the phone’s lens. So can it also work with my radio-controlled car? Well yes. You can use the application as a rev counter for your RC car. I advise you to put your phone in a safe position so that if you pass too close you do not hit it.
Synthesis
Website: http://www.protocol-apps.ca/
Price: free
Photos source Play store, Laptrax.