Track Coach Employs "Electric Eye" to Translate Sprinters Onto Paper; Able to Check on Runner's Speed Acceleration

The gentleman who a century ago resigned from the patent office because "there wasn't anything else to be invented" was indeed wrong.

One of the most astounding inventions in recent years has been the development and application of the photo-electric cell. We turn into our drive-way, approach the garage, cross an invisible beam of light, and the garage doors open before us. We stoop over a drinking fountain, and a invisible hand turns on the water.

Electric Eye

Even track coaches avail themselves of this new force, for during the past four weeks sprinters have been carrying on experiments with the electric eye in the Cage at Soldiers Field.

It all started last year, when Assistant Coach Bill Neufeld was having lunch with Doctor Book of the Hygiene Department, and Harvard Physicist Victor Guilleman. Neufeld was curious as to whether or not there might be some scientific device with which to determine the proper warm up for a given man for a given man for a given distames.

Thus was suggested the electric eye, and Guilleman on behalf of the Fatigue Laboratory offered to build the machine. With the beginning of school this fall the machine was set up and put into operation. As it stands new the apparatus is strung over a distance of 35 yards. Six beams of light at designated intervals cross the runners path, with the lights on one side and the reflectors on the other

Ticker Tape

As the runner intersects each light the time is recorded on the moving "ticker tape" evolving from the central controlling machine located on a nearby table.

Every Wednesday the same group of sprinters run four times through the gauntlet of lights. Novices as well as experienced men compose the group. And by now Neufeld has a fairly accurate record of how an average group of runners behave over 35 yards.

One of the most valuable functions of this electric eye set-up is to determine the normal reaction to the report of the starter's gun. Reaction, as determined by the first light, varies from .56 to .36 of a second, Varsity sprinter Fred Ulen having the record for the fastest reaction. Consistently the experienced men trained to a starter's gun have the fastest reaction.

Fastest Times

As stated, Fred Ulen has the quickest reaction with .26. Ulen also is the fastest between light numbers one and two (13 feet) with .74 of a second. Six men are tied for the fifteen feet between lights two and three, doing it in .67 of a second. Al Hanlon and Charles Smith '40 hold the best time for the next 15 feet--.57 of a second.

Fourth and fifth lights are 30 feet apart, and Hanlon and Smith also hold the record here with 1.05 seconds. And the next 30 feet show that speed is still increasing, Hanlon and Lloyd Mills '40 doing this in .97 seconds. So it is evident that some find their speed in different places than others, and all tests show that speed is still in the making over the last distance.

So with the electric eye track coaches at Harvard can measure and individual's performance over any part of a given distance. They can show the athlete just where he needs to concentrate his efforts, whether in his start or further on. In time Neufeld hopes to be able to find out exactly what type of warmup suits each of his runners. Later on Head Coach Jaakko Mikkola hopes to not only measure his boys over the long distances, but to use the machine to determine the best hurdling form on the standpoint of speed.