what would smart table tennis racket be like?

[andersjohansson]

Hi guys, my name is Anders from Sweden - Gothenburg, and I am a hobby (office) table tennis player.

So, couple of days ago I was at an event at Spotify and there I met one guy who says his startup is about developing an attachable device for the table tennis racket that gives statistics about your game... I went online and found that there are sensors who does this type of things but for other racket sports and nothing for Table Tennis. What do you guys think, why there was no such a device so far?

Cheers,

#happyfirstpostofmine

 

[SFF_lib]

Hi guys, my name is Anders from Sweden - Gothenburg, and I am a hobby (office) table tennis player.

So, couple of days ago I was at an event at Spotify and there I met one guy who says his startup is about developing an attachable device for the table tennis racket that gives statistics about your game... I went online and found that there are sensors who does this type of things but for other racket sports and nothing for Table Tennis. What do you guys think, why there was no such a device so far?

Cheers,

#happyfirstpostofmine

Interesting. The sensor would be able to link to an app and a online database. With Amazon echo-like tech it won't be long before we can take a video of our play, and the machine would make recommendations.

Sent from my WAS-LX2 using Tapatalk

 

[yoass]

I've seen no sensors being added to the frames or rubbers. I'm no stranger to that field, and it does seem to tricky to modify an existing setup while still keeping playing properties entirely intact. Note that players are very specific, fussy even, about their equipment, and table tennis has a very high degree of variation.

That being said, the table is a different thing altogether and offers options. And someting exists there, witness http://ttt3000.de for an example, "Table Tennis Trainer".

 

[suds79]

there needs to be like a paper thin, like edge tape sensor. Or something at least light. I play with foam edge tape and that's certainly not paper thin.

This way you can measure blade head speed etc.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

With how small the racket is and how much depends on touch, feeling and balance for spinning the ball, I think an electronic device added to the racket would significantly impact balance and feel. And because the racket is so small, it is hard for me to imagine where it could be placed without impacting grip or blade face.

That being said, and me not being all that tech-savvy, I may be underestimating technology.

But I have to be honest, I wouldn't be interested in the data. And you can see the important data in your shots when you are playing. At least....you can if you are paying attention.

But with TT the information is different than most racket sports because the important information happens on the level of the topsheet grabbing the ball, the ball sinking into the topsheet and sponge, the topsheet wrapping around part of the surface of the ball and the topsheet and sponge distorting and rebounding after distortion.

And I don't really think there is a device that could measure rubber grab, distortion and rebound without totally messing up the rubber's ability to function.

Which also could mean the "smart" device would need to be in the rubber, not the blade. Or in both the rubber and the blade.

My method of data analysis on my shots is:

1) how much arc did the ball have?
2) how far long did my opponent overshoot my topspin because of how heavy the spin was?
3) how fast was the shot? Did I slow loop or speed loop?
4) did the ball go exactly where I aimed it? Or did I miss my mark by an inch or more?
5) did my placement catch my opponent off guard or did he read where I was going?


Sent from The Subterranean Workshop by Telepathy

 

[Ilia Minkin]

I think that it is possible to place a sensor in a hollow space in the handle, that wouldn't affect the racket too much. It is probably possible to record speed of the racket along the swing, maybe also trajectory. It would be fun to have a 3D model of the swing along with speed at each point, that would help developing technique. For example, one may experiment with different stroke patterns and know for sure which works best, instead of relying on internal sensations. Everybody knows that pros have much higher racket speeds on all strokes, especially serves, but nobody knows the exact numbers. It would be cool to have tangible data on that. Why isn't such thing exist? I think that it is impossible to sell such device for profit as the market will be too narrow. At the same time, it is challenging enough to make to repell amateur makers. AFAIK pnachtwey opened a thread about such project not long before he got banned.

 

[ajtatosmano2]

I think creating mobile high speed cam system and developing a softer what can analyse what happens would be easier and it could analyse more aspects of the game. We could measure ball speed, spin, trajectory, arm and racket speed, hitting area...
The program could make 3D models and then compare the body movements to pro players movements.
It just makes more sense.

 

[andersjohansson]

wow I think that is a really cool idea to have amazon echo like a coach,maybe even just like a cheerleader or a tv commentator, bear in mind that when I think of these I am mostly thinking of something for our office.

Interesting. The sensor would be able to link to an app and a online database. With Amazon echo-like tech it won't be long before we can take a video of our play, and the machine would make recommendations.

Sent from my WAS-LX2 using Tapatalk

 

[andersjohansson]

That is very cool table for the office as well! Im just worried with the light because it is dark and when the ball crosses different types of lights it feels like it is disappearing? Or what is your opinion on that? I agree probably it would feel a bit wired for the professional TT players if something attached on their equipment.

I've seen no sensors being added to the frames or rubbers. I'm no stranger to that field, and it does seem to tricky to modify an existing setup while still keeping playing properties entirely intact. Note that players are very specific, fussy even, about their equipment, and table tennis has a very high degree of variation.

That being said, the table is a different thing altogether and offers options. And someting exists there, witness http://ttt3000.de for an example, "Table Tennis Trainer".

 

[yogi_bear]

maybe because of the cost and technology that are needed for that to happen that is why it is not yet practical now but maybe in the future. if a regular chinese blade has a range of 5-20 usd per piece for example, how much would it cost if you add those gizmos?

 

[SFF_lib]

maybe because of the cost and technology that are needed for that to happen that is why it is not yet practical now but maybe in the future. if a regular chinese blade has a range of 5-20 usd per piece for example, how much would it cost if you add those gizmos?

A more cost effective way would be 3D projection of a coach. The coach and I will video call. But the projector can project a 3D himself so that he can help my game right next to me. It's beneficial as person to person training is so far the best. He can also control the angle of the projector so he can "move" around.

In this was we can have one coach sitting in his home in Beijing. He can coach kids in US and Europe.

3D projection is already available but not widely commercialized yet. With IOT being commercialized. This is highly possible.

Sent from my WAS-LX2 using Tapatalk

 

[yoass]

That is very cool table for the office as well! Im just worried with the light because it is dark and when the ball crosses different types of lights it feels like it is disappearing? Or what is your opinion on that? I agree probably it would feel a bit wired for the professional TT players if something attached on their equipment.

While I'd love to get access to a http://ttt3000.de installation, I haven't yet had that pleasure. It's not really the table, by the way; there's just projection on the table, and a bunch of sensitive high-speed sensors tracking movement (and spin, so they say). It's also suitable to dark as well as bright environments. The demo looks amazing, but then again, that's wat demoes are rigged up to be.

Key thing here is: no sensors in the bats or on the player. It's all high-speed camera's making measurements in real-time, and software processing these inputs and visualizing the analysis.