Kyocera Corporation (President: Hideo Tanimoto; hereinafter "Kyocera") and Ryukyu Asteeda Sports Club Co., Ltd. (CEO: Shusaku Hayakawa, hereinafter Ryukyu Asteeda") announced a joint pilot test to improve the team's athletes' table tennis abilities using Kyocera's "Three-Axis Quartz Gyro Sensor Module." The testing period is scheduled to begin in February 2021 for a period of one year.
IoT module in table tennis grip designed to improve athletes' training
■Joint Pilot Test Outline■
Joint Pilot Test OutlineAthletes from the Ryukyu Asteeda professional table tennis team will use Kyocera's "Table Tennis Racket Sensor System," which utilizes its three-axis quartz gyro sensor module developed in cooperation with the Keio Research Institute at SFC, Keio University. The sensor attaches to the racket's grip and provides data on the racket's angle and trajectory to assist in improving players' skill level during training. The system can detect the player's racket posture, swing speed, hit time, and ball trajectory with visual data sent to a computer or smartphone for evaluation by coaches and athletes to monitor skill progress and improvement.
Through the one-year testing period, Kyocera will verify the sensor data's accuracy and work to improve the system's functions with the aim of bringing the technology to market in the future. In combination with other corporate open innovation projects, Kyocera further aims to use this project to improve the effectiveness of the sensor module and contribute to the acceleration of IoT in a variety of other industries.
By combining Kyocera's technology with its world-class table tennis players, Ryukyu Asteeda will help accelerate the use of Kyocera's three-axis crystal gyro sensor module technology in the table tennis world. Table tennis continues to grow in popularity in Japan and throughout Asia and is expanding worldwide. The technology also has a possibility of implications for other sports such as baseball, hockey, tennis, squash, and racquetball.
*3 players will participate in the pilot program from Ryukyu Asteeda. All of the above are scheduled and subject to change.
■Three-Axis Quartz Gyro IoT Sensor Module Mechanism
The three-axis quartz gyro sensor module was developed using Kyocera's proprietary design and high-precision machining technology to achieve significant miniaturization of a three-axis crystal gyro into a single small component. The module enables high-precision measurement and data analysis of an object moving at high-speeds, such as a table tennis racket during a match.
Analysis functions
・Racket position, swing speed, and hit time
・Ball trajectory display
・Player skeletal projection display
・Reproduced image display
Data analysis examples
・Time series display of racket positioning
・Posture display when player hits the ball
・Movement display of racket at hit
・Swing speed display at the time of contact with the ball
