Project

#	Title	Team Members	TA	Documents	Sponsor
22	Real-Time Free Throw Feedback Device	Joseph Vande Vusse Mathew Kizhakkadathu Sanjay Kalidindi	Hershel Rege	design_document0.docx final_paper0.pdf presentation0.pptx video
	A basketball free throw cannot yet be analyzed in real time by an individual practicing alone. One can try different things to attain different results (or even record their attempts), but this process is slow and unscientific. We would like to change this. Our free throw feedback device would alert the user to their issues in real time based on a history of their made shots. In the training phase, it would gather data via 2-3 lower and upper body sensors to determine the averages forces applied by various parts of an individual’s body in a successful shot. The running averages would be calculated by transferring the data of each sensor to a computer for each attempt. Then, in the testing phase, the machine would either present an acknowledgement of a made shot, or constructive criticism to improve next time. The criticism would be based on which of these 2-3 sensors displayed the largest deviation from it’s average during the training phase. An example message from the machine might read, “More legs next time!”. The hardware would essentially be the sensors (likely an array of accelerometers) fed to a microcontroller with several UART ports (for simultaneous data transfer) and power circuits to power each of them. The microcontroller would then transfer the data to the computer where a script would perform the higher level functions (running average, training vs. testing, and feedback). Our project is an innovation in that it combines existing technologies (sensors/microcontroller/computer) with our data compilation and transferring for rewarding user experience. A potential competitor is the ESPN series “Sport Science” which analyzes performance in various sports, including basketball. It appears to be largely reactive while our device is proactive in that in is helping an individual in real time.

Featured Project

The idea of this project would be to improve upon the 395 project ‘Smart Frisbee’ done by a group that included James Younce. The improvements would be to create a wristband with low power / short range RF capabilities that would be able to transmit a user ID to the frisbee, allowing the frisbee to know what player is holding it. Furthermore, the PCB from the 395 course would be used as a point of reference, but significantly redesigned in order to introduce the transceiver, a high accuracy GPS module, and any other parts that could be modified to decrease power consumption. The frisbee’s current sensors are a GPS module, and an MPU 6050, which houses an accelerometer and gyroscope.

The software of the system on the frisbee would be redesigned and optimized to record various statistics as well as improve gameplay tracking features for teams and individual players. These statistics could be player specific events such as the number of throws, number of catches, longest throw, fastest throw, most goals, etc.

The new hardware would improve the frisbee’s ability to properly moderate gameplay and improve “housekeeping”, such as ensuring that an interception by the other team in the end zone would not be counted as a score. Further improvements would be seen on the software side, as the frisbee in it’s current iteration will score as long as the frisbee was thrown over the endzone, and the only way to eliminate false goals is to press a button within a 10 second window after the goal.