Automaton Mode

Platform: 📱 Mobile only

See also: Connection & Reader Setup, Unattended Finish with Automaton, Results

When you need this

You want to set up a phone as an unattended timing station — at a finish line, a start gate, or an information display — where participants read their chip and the system handles everything automatically: recording times, calculating results, showing feedback on screen, and announcing results via speech.

Entering Automaton Mode

From the event list, tap the event you want to set up for automatic timing. A menu appears with the available modes. Tap Automaton to enter Automaton Mode. The app first asks you to select a sub-mode (Start, Finish, Full, or Info). For Start and Full modes, you also select a class mode (Automatic or Manual). Once configured, the screen enters a waiting state with large visual cues pointing toward the reader.

For multi-stage events, the header bar shows the current stage name with a swap icon. Tap it to switch between stages without leaving Automaton Mode — the device continues timing with the new stage's data immediately.

The mode can also be set remotely from the desktop Event Monitor. When set remotely, the device skips the mode and class selection screens and goes straight to the waiting state. See Event Monitor — Managing devices remotely for details.

Sub-modes

Start

Records the start time automatically when a participant reads their chip. The participant is registered as "competing" and the display briefly confirms the registration with their name and class.

  • If the participant is already registered as started, the display shows their existing registration (duplicate detection)
  • After confirmation, the display clears automatically after the configured registration visibility time

Class mode applies in Start mode — see Class Mode below.

Finish

Records the finish time, calculates the elapsed time, determines the position within the class, and displays the full result. The system also announces the result aloud.

The display shows:

  • Participant name (large text)
  • Elapsed time
  • Position in class (e.g. "3rd")
  • Result status (OK, DSQ, Unknown)
  • Class name (if enabled in settings)

If the chip has already been read with the same control times (duplicate detection), the existing result is shown again without creating a new entry.

Full

Combines Start and Finish into a single mode. The system decides what to do based on the participant's current state:

  • Not yet started → registers the start (same as Start mode)
  • Already started → records the finish and shows the result (same as Finish mode)

This is useful for events with a combined start/finish area, or when you want one station to handle both operations.

Class mode applies in Full mode for the start registration step.

Info

Displays participant information without recording anything. When a chip is read, the screen shows the participant's name, class, current time, and position — but no data is saved or modified.

Use Info mode for information displays along the course, at spectator areas, or anywhere you want participants to check their status without affecting timing.

Class Mode

When using Start or Full mode, you choose how the participant's class is determined:

Automatic

The system determines the class from the chip registration data or suggests a class based on the participant's profile. No manual interaction is needed — the registration completes immediately after the chip read.

Manual

After the chip is read, the screen shows a list of available classes. The participant taps their class to complete the registration. This is useful for open events where participants choose their course on the day.

The class selection screen clears automatically after the configured registration visibility timeout if no selection is made.

On-screen Display

Automaton Mode uses large, high-contrast text designed to be readable from a distance. The display adapts based on the result:

  • Registration confirmation — Name and class, shown briefly
  • Finish result — Name, time, position, and status in large text. For positions 1–3, a gold/silver/bronze trophy icon is shown. For positions 4+, the numeric position is displayed.
  • Children's classes — Shows an encouraging animal image alongside the result, with a positive message ("Hieno suoritus!"). The voice only says the encouraging message — no name or time is announced.
  • Error states — Unknown chip or payment issues shown with clear error messaging

The display clears automatically after the configured timeout (registration visibility time for starts, result visibility time for finishes, info visibility time for info mode).

Clearing the Last Read Chip

The system prevents the same chip from being read twice in a row (to avoid accidental double-reads). If you need to re-read the same chip — for example, to test the setup or re-check a result — you can clear the last read chip in two ways:

  • Double-tap anywhere on the automaton screen. A toast message confirms the chip was cleared.
  • Open Settings and tap Forget last read chip.

After clearing, the next chip read is accepted regardless of whether it's the same chip as before.

Voice Announcements

After a result is displayed, the system announces it aloud using speech. This is configurable — you can enable or disable each component:

  • Sound — Master toggle for all audio feedback
  • Name — Announces the participant's name
  • Status — Announces the result status (e.g. "OK", "disqualified")
  • Time — Announces the elapsed time

Voice announcements are particularly useful at unattended finish lines where participants may not be looking directly at the screen.

Rental chip reminder

If the participant has a rental chip, the system announces "return rental chip" after the result announcement. This helps ensure rental chips are collected without requiring a volunteer at the station.

Feedback on Chip Read

Every successful chip read triggers:

  • A confirmation sound
  • Haptic feedback (vibration)
  • The display immediately updates with the participant's information

This multi-sensory feedback confirms to the participant that their chip was read successfully, even before the full result appears.

Duplicate Detection

If the same chip is read again with identical control times, Automaton Mode recognizes it as a duplicate. Instead of creating a new result, it re-displays the existing result. This prevents accidental double-registrations when a participant reads their chip multiple times.

Status Indicators

When you're setting up the station or checking on it during the event, the top area of the screen tells you whether everything is working:

  • Event name — Which event is active
  • Clock — Current time (automatically synchronized)
  • WiFi indicator — Cloud connection status
  • USB reader indicator — Reader connection status

If you walk up to the station mid-race and see red indicators, you know something needs attention before leaving it again.

Settings

Before leaving the station unattended, you'll want to configure how it behaves. Tap the menu icon to open the Automaton settings modal.

Mode settings

These control what the station does when a chip is read:

  • Automaton mode — Switch between Start, Finish, Full, and Info
  • Class mode — Switch between Automatic and Manual (Start and Full modes)
  • Reader type — Select the connected reader hardware

Display settings

These control what participants see after reading their chip:

  • Show class — Show the class name on the result display
  • Show payment info — Display payment status
  • Show position (trophy) — Show the position with trophy icons (1st/2nd/3rd) or numeric position. When disabled, a simple checkmark or X icon is shown instead — useful for competitions where knowing "OK or not OK" matters more than the position.
  • Show reader arrow — Show an animated arrow pointing toward the reader (helps participants find where to read their chip)
  • Registration visibility time — How many seconds the registration confirmation stays on screen
  • Result visibility time — How many seconds the finish result stays on screen (10–20 seconds is typical — long enough to read, short enough that the next finisher doesn't wait)
  • Info visibility time — How many seconds the info display stays on screen. For readers that continuously send data (like EMIT), the timer resets on each re-read, effectively keeping the display visible while the chip is in the reader. For single-read devices (like SportIdent), set this higher (10+ seconds) so participants have time to read their information.

Voice announcement settings

These control what the station announces aloud:

  • Sound — Master toggle for audio feedback
  • Speak name — Announce participant name
  • Speak status — Announce result status (OK, disqualified, etc.)
  • Speak time — Announce elapsed time

Validation

  • Payment check — Require payment before allowing registration (Start and Full modes). Unpaid participants see an error message instead of being registered. Use this at events where entry fee must be paid before starting.

Scenario: Unattended finish line at a forest orienteering event

You're organizing a local orienteering race in the forest. The finish line is 200 meters from the event center, and you don't have enough volunteers to staff it. You set up a phone with a USB reader as an automatic finish station.

Setup (10 minutes before first finisher expected)

  1. Mount the phone on a stand at the finish line, connected to a USB chip reader and a power bank
  2. Open the Navisport app, select today's event, and tap Automaton
  3. Select Finish as the sub-mode
  4. Verify the status indicators show green for both WiFi and USB reader
  5. Open Settings and configure:
    • Show class: On
    • Show reader arrow: On (so finishers know where to read)
    • Result visibility time: 15 seconds
    • Speech: Enable name, status, and time
  6. The screen shows the animated reader arrow and "Waiting for chip read..."

During the race

  1. The first participant finishes, walks to the reader, and places their chip
  2. The phone beeps, vibrates, and the screen shows: "Anna Virtanen — 42:15 — 1st"
  3. The voice announces: "Anna Virtanen, OK, forty-two fifteen"
  4. After 15 seconds, the display clears and returns to the waiting state
  5. The next finisher reads their chip — same flow, now showing "2nd"
  6. A participant with a rental chip finishes — after the result announcement, the voice adds: "Please return your rental chip"
  7. One participant accidentally reads their chip twice — the system recognizes the duplicate and re-displays the same result without creating a new entry

Monitoring remotely

  1. From the event center, you open the desktop client's Event Monitor
  2. You can see results appearing in real-time as participants finish
  3. If something looks wrong, you can walk to the finish station — but the system handles normal operation without intervention

End of event

  1. Once all participants have finished, collect the phone from the finish line
  2. All results were synced to the cloud throughout the event — nothing to upload manually

The finish line ran itself for the entire event. Participants got immediate feedback (visual + audio), and you monitored from a distance.

Tips

  • Always connect a power bank — Automaton Mode keeps the screen on continuously, which drains battery fast. A 10,000 mAh power bank easily covers a full-day event.
  • Position the phone at eye level with the screen facing incoming participants. The animated reader arrow helps them find the chip reader quickly.
  • Test the speech volume before leaving the station unattended. Outdoor environments need higher volume than you might expect.
  • Use Full mode for training events where you have a single combined start/finish point — participants start by reading their chip, run the course, and finish by reading again at the same station.
  • For children's events, the encouraging animal images and messages make the finish experience more engaging. No configuration needed — the system detects children's classes automatically.
  • Set the result visibility time long enough for participants to read their result (10–20 seconds is typical), but short enough that the next finisher doesn't have to wait.
  • If WiFi is unreliable at the finish location, don't worry — results queue locally and sync when connectivity returns. The timing accuracy is not affected by connectivity.