A training device and method for baseball, softball, and other sports provides a plurality of fixed or adjustable bump elements on a transportable support surface so the device can be easily stored, transported, and positioned for hop drills and other training routines. In one embodiment, the device is a flexible one-piece mat or other support surface with a plurality of integral bump elements. The mat may be rolled for storage, transported with a carry arm strap, unrolled into a desired position on a field or indoor practice area, and then used to deflect balls that are rolled over it. After use, the device rolls up easily for transport and storage.

A wireless power-feeding apparatus that enables efficient wireless feeding to a power-receiving coil embedded at the center of a spherical power-receiving device. The apparatus includes: a holding member for holding the power-receiving device; a power-transmitting coil; a driver circuit for supplying the power-transmitting coil with high-frequency current to generate a magnetic flux for wireless power-feeding to the power-receiving coil; and a wireless data receiver for receiving data transmitted regularly from a wireless data transmitter, the power-transmitting coil being positioned relative to the holding member in such a manner that the axes of the power-receiving coil and the power-transmitting coil are parallel to each other when the power-receiving device is held by the holding member in such a manner that a mark provided on the surface of the power-receiving device faces a predetermined direction.

Provided is a technique with which a batter who is practicing batting with a tee can acknowledge how the batter should change his/her hitting posture. An information processing device includes a processor that executes: (a) continuously measuring, according to either or both of output signals from a motion sensor and a force plate, a posture of a batter who is practicing batting with a tee; (b) determining, according to an output signal from a force sensor internally stored in the tee, a timing at which the batter hits a ball placed at the tee; (c) determining, as a hitting posture of the batter, a posture of the batter at the determined timing; and (d) outputting a message instructing the batter to change the batter's hitting posture, according to information indicating an exemplary hitting posture and information indicating the determined batter's hitting posture.

An exercise system may include an exercise mat; sensors integrated into the exercise mat, each of the sensors configured to sense when a force is applied to a respective portion of the exercise mat; and displays coupled to the exercise mat and configured to display indications corresponding to desired locations for body parts of a user in accordance with an exercise routine. On one or more of the displays, indications corresponding to desired locations of a user's body part may be displayed in accordance with a form of one of stored exercise routines; and one or more of the sensors may sense an application of force to the exercise mat. One or more of the displays may display at least one marker identifying a direction from a location of the sensed application of force to a display location of the at least one of the indications.

A method includes generating an initial radar track using radar data and initial radar parameters and an initial camera track using image angular position data, initial camera parameters, and the radar range data in combination with calculating correction parameters to be applied to one of the radar data and the image data by comparing positions for the object from the initial radar track and the initial camera track, the first correction parameters being selected so that, when applied to the data from the other of the radar and the camera, to generate a first corrected track, a degree of correspondence between the first corrected track and the track of the other of the radar and camera is higher than a degree of correspondence between the initial radar track and the initial camera track.

A batting tee supporting a ball has a base, a telescoping post having a first tube, a second tube, a rod, and a flexible ball holder secured to the telescoping post. Wearable bushing assemblies enable friction between components of the tee to remain at least substantially constant over a range of tolerances, even as bushings wear. Each bushing assembly includes a bushing holder, a C-shaped spring positioned around at least a portion of the bushing holder, and a C-shaped bushing constructed of wearable material and positioned at least partially around an outer periphery of the C-shaped spring. Each bushing assembly is positioned into a respective tube such that the C-shaped bushing contacts an inner surface of its respective tube. The C-shaped spring provides an outward radial force for applying friction between the C-shaped bushing and the inner surface of the tube when one component is axially moved relative to another.

A baseball game system is capable of accurately determining a location of a ball at all times irrespective of changes in illuminance, the baseball game system including: a pitching unit pitching a ball toward a determination area including a strike zone; a photographing unit between the determination area and the pitching unit; and a location detector receiving a photographed image from the photographing unit, comparing the photographed image with a reference image, generating a corrected image by adjusting a luminance of the photographed image based on the comparison result and detecting a location of a pitched ball or a struck ball based on the corrected image.

A baseball game system is capable of accurately determining a location of a ball using a single camera, the baseball game system including: a pitching unit pitching a ball toward a determination area including a strike zone; a photographing unit positioned in a space between the determination area and the pitching unit; and a location detector detecting a location of a ball based on a plurality of images from the photographing unit. The location detector includes a non-stroke processor detecting a location of a non-struck ball and a stroke processor detecting a location of a struck ball. The non-stroke processor sets first, second, third and fourth straight lines defining the strike zone; calculates, when the ball in the image passes between the first straight line and the second straight line, an average size of the balls between the first straight line and the second straight line; and detects a vertical location of the ball in the determination area based on the average size.

A training, rehabilitation, and recovery system comprises an exercise apparatus including a user interface member coupled to a plurality of links and joints, brakes capable of resisting movement of at least a subset of the links or joints, and sensors capable of sensing movement at the joints or the user interface member. The system also includes a processor configured to receive from the sensors positional data of the links or joints over an initial movement of the apparatus by a user, from which positional coordinates of the user interface member are calculated and a reference trajectory is established. An end space is defined based on the reference trajectory. Over a subsequent movement of the apparatus by the user, the processor receives additional positional data and determines a completion of a repetition based on the positional coordinates of the subsequent movement and the defined end space.

An apparatus, a system and a method protects a pitcher from being struck by a returning ball and has a container that encloses a bag of balls, a screen and/or a base that is attached to a lid. The lid is removed from the container and placed in front of the container which may provide a seating surface for the pitcher. The base has sides that define a channel in the base which receives the screen. The base may hold the screen in an upright position. Clips may fold outwardly from the base to assist the base in holding the screen. A leg extending from the base stabilizes the base on the ground. The pitcher may conduct batting practice by sitting on the container and throwing a ball around the screen toward the batter.