mux ant CUSTOM PICTURE

Project Crazy Golf

The market

Miniature Golf known as Crazy Golf has been growing in terms of popularity over the last few years in the UK. Crazy golf venues are trying to tap into the public’s demand for everyone to experience this fast, fun and novel entertainment experience.

There has been an increase in the amount of Crazy Golf venues being built in the UK and the market is becoming very competitive. 

With the market becoming very competitive, a national entertainment company approached Eccel and wanted to embed RFID solutions into their courses across the UK.

Eccel produced a customized version of the MUX ANT 1356 50×50-800, which is one of a family of the PCB antennas designed for use with our Pepper C1 MUX RFID readers.

Product

The Pepper C1 MUX a multiplexed IoT RFID reader allowing up to 8 external antennas to be connected at the same time. The Pepper C1 MUX is one of Eccel’s first products with wireless connectivity capabilities, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocols. Wirelessly connectivity enables the user to implement custom firmware and easily enact changes to future-proof the product without having to wire up the device for firmware updates. This has the massive advantage the products can be updated “in-situ” without the need for expensive down-time whilst maintenance works are carried out to replace reader hardware and re-program. Updates can all be done over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth as well as through traditional serial port connections. As with all our readers, the multiplexer range provides a “straight out of the box” ready to use device for many applications. In standalone mode, the module can also send a tag UID over MQTT or WebSocket’s for fast and easy integration with existing IoT systems.

Our multiplexer antennas have a customizable cable length of up to 800mm to suit the client’s application. Further modification to PCBA size to fit space constraints is also available. We used a modified PCB antenna to accommodate the client’s metalwork and bespoke electronics. Modification and tuning is a key USP for our custom antenna products.

For a full product description click here.

Typically our Mux antennas can achieve a read range of around up to 70mm and this range can be maximised through hardware and tuning changes in certain environments to more than 100mm. 

Please check out our demonstration video of this reader here

Project

At the start of the course, users are issued with golf clubs with embedded RFID tags which are tapped against the start of each hole. The number of shots taken by each player is then automatically recorded and the score is kept by the computer. When the golf ball enters the hole the player’s score is automatically logged thanks to the RFID technology and a running score is kept. Special animations and advertisements can be played depending on how the play unfolds on each hole, for example points can be assigned for the golf ball taking particular paths and bonus sounds can be triggered for a “hole in one.” 

For more information

Eccel’s technology helps transform the average mini golf course to increase engagement and fun.

Look out for the RFID symbol coming to a crazy golf course near you!

If you would like to embed RFID solutions with custom designed and bespoke products, please contact sales@eccel.co.uk for a quote.

share post: