The CE marking of meters and sensors for professional sports – Sicom Testing

The exponential growth of technologies related to sensors for sports opens new frontiers in study of professional sporting activity. From this type of device numerous advantages can be obtained such as increasing the effectiveness of the athletic gesture, the ability to measure results, the possibility of predict problems and accidents and in general to quickly extract important information on sports performance.

Key elements of this change of perspective in the sports sector - as in many others - are the Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, or MEMS, a technology that in its most general form can be defined as a series of miniaturized mechanical and electromechanical elements.

The use of microelectromechanical systems It allows real-time monitoring of mechanical, thermal, biological, chemical, optical and magnetic phenomena and the extrapolation of descriptive data on training load or movement quality in many contexts.

Microelectromechanical systems

Microelectromechanical systems can present themselves as relatively simple structures, without moving elements, up to complex systems with multiple moving elements under the control of integrated microelectronics.

In the panorama of the functional elements of microelectromechanical systems, microsensors and microactuators have an important place, that is, transducers responsible for converting energy from one form to another.

The development of increasingly intelligent devices is guaranteed by the fact that microsensors, microactuators, microelectronics and other technologies can be integrated in a single chip. The sensors responsible for collecting information operate in synergy with the electronics which process the information themselves and direct the actuators to respond, achieving the intended objective.

MEMS technology is extremely diverse and fertile, both in its intended application areas and in the way devices are designed and manufactured. Their batch manufacturing – used in the integrated circuit industry – can also result in low production costs per device.

Smart sensors and meters for professional sports

To date, in the world of professional sport, there are extremely sophisticated sensors and meters on the market. Some of these integrate accelerometers, magnetometers and gyroscopes. Accelerometers return the measurement of linear acceleration; the gyroscopes the angular velocity, while the magnetometers are responsible for indicating the direction of the Earth's magnetic north.

Furthermore, in some sports realities, instruments capable of returning complex measurements are widespread thanks to integration into modules inertial sensors with up to nine axes. These are accelerometers that integrate gyroscopes with altimeters, acoustic sensors and, for example, magnetometers. In this scenario the microelectronics supports data processing, data-fusion algorithms and the machine learning.

In relation to type of athletic gesture to be measured and define you can opt for technologies structured in a different way. For example, the acceleration of a swimmer will be measurable thanks to a uni-axial accelerometer, while the athletic gesture of a soccer player will be identified by a triaxial sensor capable of operating in three-dimensionality.

In addition to this type of technological perspective, which translates – to a large extent – into various types of measuring devices to be installed on the edge of the field or on the athlete's body, in the world of sport there is a growing attention towardspredictive analysis of the injury and therefore towards the safety of the athletes. Improving the performance of athletes and preserving their physical integrity is, to date, the task of knee pads, helmets, smart bracelet devices with integrated miniaturized sensors. Thanks to movement correction supported by quantitative analysis and real-time notifications, this range of devices can offer a safe sporting experience based on the physical and psychophysical characteristics of the athlete.

Marketing meters and sensors for sports

Obtaining the CE marking for devices connected to sensors and the measurement of sports performance is based on verification of compliance with the requirements established by the applicable European directives, including Directive 2014/30/EU on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Directive 2014/35/ EU (Low Voltage Directive), regulation 2002/95/EC (RoHS Directive) and Directive 2014/53/EU (RED) on radio equipment.

To ensure compliance of devices and obtain the CE marking verification of the products is necessary through theapplication of harmonized standards, the drafting of a technical file which collects all the documentation connected to the checks on the product, and of EU Declaration of Conformity which indicates the legitimacy of the product with respect to legal requirements. The conformity verification process for this type of product is related to the figure of the manufacturer, but involves the figures of importer and distributor on several levels. These actors in the marketing process, in fact, are involved in terms of control of the maintaining compliance, from the preservation of documents and reporting possible malfunctions to the Authorities.