Patent ID: 7285035

Claim:
A first sensing apparatus for sensing passage of a first moving object past a first position along a first predefined path, the first sensing apparatus comprising: a first freestanding collision obstacle placed at said first position in said first predefined path; a first sensor device able to sense the presence or absence of said first freestanding collision obstacle at said first position, wherein said first sensor device is installed in a first lane of a racetrack; and at least a second sensing apparatus with a respective second sensor device installed in a respective second lane of said racetrack to detect passage of a second moving object passed said second sensor device; wherein said first moving object collides with said first freestanding collision obstacle as said first moving object passes said first sensor device; and wherein at least the two sensing apparatuses are coupled to an electronic system for determining one of the group including a) the sequential order of said moving objects passing said sensor devices and b) race times of said moving objects, said race times terminated by passage of said moving objects passed said sensor devices.