My passion for table tennis and Vedant’s for tennis inspired us to build technology at Maker’s Asylum that helps improve players’ performance. In tennis, the power and speed of a shot are the primary factors determining a player’s performance effectiveness. While traditional training methods rely on observation and guesswork, we wondered if it was possible to quantify a player’s swing with precise data. That’s when we came up with the idea of integrating motion sensors into a tennis racket to measure acceleration and provide instant feedback to players. Finally, we created a Smart Tennis Racket that calculates the acceleration of a player’s swing, allowing them to track their shots and refine their gameplay.
Various parts required for making a smart tennis racket were procured online from Amazon. Then we started assembling. We attached an MPU6050 accelerometer to the racket handle and a gyroscope, allowing the racket to capture motion data and transmit it wirelessly using an ESP32 microcontroller.
Software & Data Analysis: By writing algorithms to interpret the acceleration data, we provided insights into the player’s swing speed and consistency. For testing, we conducted multiple trials for accuracy.
Leading a team of four, I managed everything independently, from procuring materials to finding ways and troubleshooting through numerous trials and errors. I learned a lot during this process, and finally, we succeeded. We were on cloud nine when we received the OSHWA Certificate for Novel Hardware Making.
There is still scope for improvement. I would need to refine the design further. We will also try to improve data visualisation. Our journey doesn’t end here; this is just the beginning of exploring how technology can revolutionise sports training.
– Aahan Prajapati
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