By inserting a microchip into the cork rubber compound in the centre of a cricket ball, the Smart Ball is able to feed back information to the user on speed and spin at various points out of the hand, pre-bounce and post-bounce – far exceeding the current capabilities of an external fixed stationary radar gun.
It can also measure power in the form of watts emitted by the bowler.
“That particular one speaks to my heart because in cricket there are all of these terms that mean absolutely nothing to anyone outside the sport,” Kasprowicz says.
“As a former fast bowler, there’s the term ‘heavy ball’, which hits the bat hard and higher than usual.
“But there’s no metrics around that – what does it really mean?
“This is where I’m really determined to come up with something to measure a ‘heavy ball’. That’s a feeling we’re trying to capture.”
The goals are…
