Nissan Develops Self-Putting Golf Ball Technology

Monday, Aug. 26, 2019 – A roundup of some of the key sports technology stories you need to know, including SportTechie’s own content and stories from around the web.

• Nissan has created a golf ball that automatically finds the hole on any putt as a way to advertise its self-driving technology. The company released a video of its ProPilot golf ball last week and says the system was inspired by its Nissan ProPilot autonomous car. A motor embedded in the ball allows it to change direction after being putted. The correct trajectory is calculated externally using a camera to track the ball and hole, and the ball is then guided wirelessly. Nissan plans to create a space at its headquarters in Yokohama this week for visitors to try out the putt-making technology.

• The International Gymnastics Federation has approved the usage of video assistant referees in competitions. The system will be implemented at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany this October. The specific platform that will be used was developed by Japanese computer company Fujitsu and will help judges in fairly scoring events. If the technology is successful at the world championships, it could be deployed at a future Olympics, perhaps even as early as Tokyo 2020. Athletes will also be shuttled around in autonomous cars designed by Toyota in Japan, according to Bloomberg.

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• The Tennis Channel launched the Tennis Channel Podcast Network to coincide with the first day of the 2019 U.S. Open. The new site features six regular podcasts, with two additional podcasts being offered during the U.S. Open and more shows expected to be added in the future. The podcasts will also still be available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play, but Tennis Channel hopes to make its network the main destination for tennis-related podcasts. While the Tennis.com podcast is owned by the Tennis Channel itself, five of the network’s six regular shows are owned by independent producers. 

• Ford worked to remove the sounds of shoes squeaking during a live broadcast of the Brazilian Basketball League finals so that announcers could talk about its tech instead. The noise of sneakers maneuvering around the court was removed during one minute of play each quarter and the time was filled with promotion ford Ford’s electronic stability control technology. The auto manufacturer sponsored the entire season of the Brazilian Basketball League, which broadcasted on ESPN and Fox Sports.