Security Cameras and "Photo Finish": Who Got to the Finish Line First? By Nahshon Roberts At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Horse Races and the 2008 Olympics

Hall of Famer jockey Russel Blaze wired his 10,000th race with a photo finish. In hotly contested races, a photo finish is the be all and end all. Without it, there would be endless protests, which would blur the thrill of winning the race. What if the photographer is caught up with the race and forgets to prep his camera? Not to worry, superior security cameras can do the job as long as it is propped in the right place.

In a horse race, a hair's breadth difference between the first and second placer cannot be detected by the human eye especially if two horses break through the finish line at the same time. To determine the winner, a photo finish provides the clue because it shows that millimeter difference between the winner and loser. The truth is in the photo finish or in the recording of security cameras that are strategically placed to catch the moment.

If you wonder how security cameras do the job, it is just a matter of the cameras constantly recording all the movements. Freeze framing the sets of recordings by the second will show the how the race was won.

In the 2008 Olympics,TV and security electronic cameras where placed everywhere to record all details. American swim hero, Michael Phelps won the 4x100 swim relay when electronic devices proved he touched the underwater wall first, allowing him to get his seventh gold medal, after clocking 50.58 seconds. That ended all arguments although disenchanted rivals howled. Coming in second was Serbian swimmer Cavic who clocked 50.59 seconds.

How a Photo Finish Saves the Day

In the Tour de France when all cyclists speed to the finish line, it is impossible to tell who is the winner. A photo finish from a sophisticated electronic device does away with the guesswork and saves the day. Digital software takes 2,000 pictures in a second. Imagine that! This would have been impossible in your great-grandfather's time when they relied on the standby photographer to click the shutters.

These days, a photo finish can be captured by security cameras working with video transmitters that sends pictures or images to the monitors hooked up to the security system. These cameras can go wireless and can be hidden in the most unlikely places but still works superbly to capture and record movement.

Since these can be remotely operated, the trouble of trying to catch the precise moment at the finish line is a thing of the past. Results are immediately known and the frames per second can be viewed later for confirmation before fistfights can erupt. Or a slow motion replay can resolve the issue of who got to the finish line first.

Beyond Protection and Line of Defense

Security cameras have been initially viewed as protection against robberies and pilfering in the home and in the workplace. But as these cameras are getting better than ever, and becoming versatile, other uses were discovered for it. It takes some creativity to come up with more uses for these cameras, don't you agree?

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