Artificial intelligence-based timing, imaging, and tracking system for the participatory athletic event market

1. A method, comprising:

defining a track on which competitors will participate in a race;

positioning, at each of multiple locations along the track, an object-recognition device configured to recognize at least one physical feature of each of the competitors; and

based on object-recognition data from the object-recognition device positioned at a selected one of the locations, determining a time at which a competitor reaches the selected one of the locations during the race.

2. A system for tracking competitors participating in a race on a track, the system comprising:

one or more object-recognition devices positioned at locations along the track, the object-recognition devices configured to recognize at least one physical feature of each of the competitors; and

a processing device configured to determine a time at which a competitor reaches a selected one of the locations during the race based on object-recognition data from at least one of the one or more object-recognition devices.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

capturing, as the object-recognition data with the object-recognition device, an image of a face of the competitor; and

recognizing, with the object-recognition device in response to the captured object-recognition data, the competitor by comparing the captured image of the face to stored representations of faces of the competitors.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising storing the representations of the faces of the competitors in a local memory or in a cloud memory.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

capturing, as the object-recognition data with the object-recognition device, an image of a face of the competitor;

extracting, from the captured image, biometric data related to the face; and

recognizing, with the object-recognition device in response to the captured object-recognition data, the competitor by comparing the extracted biometric data to stored biometric data related to the faces of the competitors.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising storing the biometric data related to the faces of the competitors in a local memory or in a cloud memory.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

capturing, as the object-recognition data with the object-recognition device, an image of a face of the competitor;

recognizing, with the object-recognition device in response to the captured object-recognition data, the competitor by comparing the captured image of the face of the competitor to stored representations of faces of the competitors; and

associating, with the recognized competitor, the determined time at which the recognized competitor reaches the selected one of the locations.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising transmitting the associated determined time to an output device associated with the recognized competitor.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising transmitting the associated determined time to a smart phone associated with the recognized competitor.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

capturing, as the object-recognition data with the object-recognition device, an image of a face of the competitor;

recognizing, with the object-recognition device in response to the captured object-recognition data, the competitor by comparing the captured image of the face to stored representations of faces of the competitors; and

identifying images captured during the race and in which the competitor appears.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising offering for sale to the competitor at least one of the identified images.

12. The system of claim 2 wherein the one or more object-recognition devices are configured:

to capture, as the object-recognition data, an image of a face of the competitor; and

to recognize the competitor by comparing the captured image of the face to stored representations of faces of the competitors.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a local memory or a cloud memory configured to store the representations of the faces of the competitors.

14. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the one or more object-recognition devices are configured to capture, as the object-recognition data, an image of a face of the competitor; and

the processing device is configured

to extract, from the captured image, biometric data related to the face; and

to recognize the competitor by comparing the extracted biometric data to stored biometric data related to the faces of the competitors.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a local memory or cloud memory configured to store the biometric data related to the faces of the competitors.

16. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the object-recognition device is configured to capture, as the object-recognition data, an image of a face of the competitor; and

the processing device is configured

to recognize the competitor by comparing the captured image of the face of the competitor to stored representations of faces of the competitors; and

to associate with the recognized competitor the determined time at which the recognized competitor reaches the selected one of the locations.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit the associated determined time to an output device associated with the recognized competitor.

18. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit the associated determined time to a smart phone associated with the recognized competitor.

19. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the one or more object-recognition devices are configured to capture, as the object-recognition data, an image of a face of the competitor; and

the processing device is configured to identify images captured during the race and in which the competitor appears by comparing the captured image of the face to stored representations of faces of the competitors.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the processing device is configured to offer for sale to the competitor at least one of the identified images.