SmartBat : a baseball swing analysis and training product

Abstract

Few products exist that offer any form of feedback on a hitter's baseball swing. Since bat speed is so critical in hitting for power, a low cost device that gives information on bat speed and/or acceleration is needed. By having a visual and auditory response indicating the magnitude of acceleration, a batter can get a better idea of how much their swing is improving. That hitter could also work on maintaining control of a bat at different speeds. The SmartBat product meets this customer need. Using an accelerometer embedded on the side of a regular wooden baseball bat, it measures acceleration and outputs the signal to an LED bar display driver. This consists of 10 LEDs in a row. The number of LEDs that light up after a swing is directly proportional to bat acceleration. In addition, whistles at the end of the bat provide auditory feedback by whistling louder at higher speeds. The current prototype would be able to be sold for $40, less than half of existing swing speed radars. There is also significant room for future improvements based on customer feedback, including a digital display of speed and acceleration, as well as the ability to record data onto a computer for further analysis.