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What Color should do to silence the mockery

• bmack 15y ago
  "all they need is a system that would detect bib numbers on the runner's shirt, and then auto-sort it for easy reference." ...uhhh
  • kirillzubovsky 15y ago
    uhhh is a very insightful comment, you're so brilliant! But seriously, with 40MM I am sure they could figure it out. Heck, just give me the 40MM and I'll figure it out. :)
  • wallflower 15y ago
    The current system (the $40 photos) is almost certainly using a person to identify bib numbers, since I remember running a race (and about 48 hours later - the time to post-process the images and identify the runner's bib numbers) and seeing an 'unknown' section where bib numbers were pretty much not visible. License plate identification is easy because it is reflective and flat. Bibs made out of Tyvek or similar material can be crumpled up. The scary part is where you composite forms of recognition - that might be the secret sauce - partial photo recognition + partial historical race performance (e.g. a 4-hr marathoner would not be passing the 20-mile mark at the 2:30 mark)) + partial body type recognition + etc.
    • kirillzubovsky 15y ago
      Very good points! I mean, we know that Google Image Search can find similar images online (and sometimes they are really good!), so it's definitely feasible. If the system was in place, I'd send them a few sample photos of myself just so they could have a reference point. Of course it's not easy, it's not just the matter of building websites, but c'mon, with so much money they should be able to hire a couple people who would figure it out. Right?