Differentiation of Fencing Blade Alloys Using iPhone Magnetometer
Abstract
All modern fencing sabers are made of composite steel alloys with variable stiffness and tensile strength. Blade differentiation is often difficult due to similar weight, color, and appearance, yet blade quality is of utmost importance as Olympic fencers have died from broken blades. Traditional methods of steel alloy identification involve spectrometry or machine tensile strength assessment, which are impractical in a competition arena. Since all modern smartphones have built-in magnetometers to detect the Earth’s magnetic field as a component of GPS and location services, we previously patented the utilization of the smartphone magnetometer to differentiate fencing steel alloys. This manuscript now reports the experimental protocol necessary for the novel application.
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Chen, Lucas. Determining Fencing Blade Quality using Dynamic Magnetic Field Measurements. The United States Trade and Patent Office, U.S. Serial Number 16/422,731. May 24, 2019.
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