A device includes a signaling means and a motion sensor, and logic for activating or controlling the signaling means in response to a sensed motion according to an embedded logic. The device may be used as a toy, and may be shaped like a play ball or as a handheld unit. It may be powered from a battery, either chargeable from an AC power source directly or contactless by using induction or by converting electrical energy from harvested kinetic energy. The embedded logic may activate or control the signaling means, predictably or randomly, in response to sensed acceleration magnitude or direction, such as sensing the crossing of a preset threshold or sensing the peak value. The visual means may be a numeric display for displaying a value associated with the count of the number of times the threshold has been exceeded or the peak magnitude of the acceleration sensed.

A device includes a signaling means and a motion sensor, and logic for activating or controlling the signaling means in response to a sensed motion according to an embedded logic. The device may be used as a toy, and may be shaped like a play ball or as a handheld unit. It may be powered from a battery, either chargeable from an AC power source directly or contactless by using induction or by converting electrical energy from harvested kinetic energy. The embedded logic may activate or control the signaling means, predictably or randomly, in response to sensed acceleration magnitude or direction, such as sensing the crossing of a preset threshold or sensing the peak value. The visual means may be a numeric display for displaying a value associated with the count of the number of times the threshold has been exceeded or the peak magnitude of the acceleration sensed.

Ball return devices may include a body having a front surface configured to return a ball incident thereon and a back surface. The body may be configured to be positioned at an angle to, and coincident with, an underlying surface, the angle between the ground surface and the body being variable. The ball return devices may also include an attachment mechanism coupled to the body and adapted to attach the body to an external anchoring mechanism.

An apparatus and method for improving batter technique is herein disclosed. In certain embodiments, the apparatus is a batting tee that includes a base, a vertical shaft assembly that is mounted to the base and has a ball support at an uppermost end thereof, a light source housed within the vertical shaft assembly and designed to illuminate an area proximate the ball support, and a controller for activating the light source. In certain embodiments, the method includes providing the above-described batting tee, placing a ball on the ball support of the tee, hitting the ball off the ball support to activate the light source, and keeping eye contact with the illuminated area.

A ball throwing machine system comprising: a housing, the housing comprising a bottom of the housing; an adjustable stand with a base, the base in operational communication with the bottom of the housing via a mechanical joint means, and wherein the housing can lockably move with respect to the base, a first ball inlet located in the housing; a first ball corridor located in the housing and in communication with the first ball inlet; a first ball outlet located in the housing and in communication with the first ball corridor and the first ball inlet; a second ball inlet located in the housing; a second ball corridor located in the housing and in communication with the second ball inlet; a second ball outlet located in the housing and in communication with the second ball corridor and the second ball inlet; a single wheel configured to rotate at user adjustable speeds, and further configured to impart spin and velocity to a ball, wherein the outer surface of the single wheel is located on the floor of the first ball corridor, and wherein the outer surface of the single wheel is located on the ceiling of the second ball corridor. A ball throwing machine comprising: a housing, the housing comprising a bottom of the housing; a first ball inlet located in the housing; a first ball corridor located in the housing and in communication with the first ball inlet; a first ball outlet located in the housing and in communication with the first ball corridor and the first ball inlet; a second ball inlet located in the housing; a second ball corridor located in the housing and in communication with the second ball inlet; a second ball outlet located in the housing and in communication with the second ball corridor and the second ball inlet; a single wheel configured to rotate at user adjustable speeds, and further configured to impart spin and velocity to a ball, wherein the outer surface of the single wheel is located on the floor of the first ball corridor, and wherein the outer surface of the single wheel is located on the ceiling of the second ball corridor and wherein the bottom of the housing is configured to moveably and lockably attach to an adjustable stand, and wherein the housing can lockably move with respect to the adjustable stand.

A treadmill may be configured for gait training and/or therapy with attachable/detachable barriers affixable to a belt and/or with a vertical obstacle module and/or with sensor systems, but without requiring hoists, harnesses, attachments to the treadmill or base, or frame, and/or excessively high treadmill frames, such as those that exceed the height of the person on the treadmill. The barriers on the belt are configured to modify movement of only one foot of a person on the treadmill. The treadmill may use a single, integral belt. Methods of gait training and/or therapy may involve such treadmills without excessive expense and without excessive modification of standard treadmill equipment.

A device includes a signaling means and a motion sensor, and logic for activating or controlling the signaling means in response to a sensed motion according to an embedded logic. The device may be used as a toy, and may be shaped like a play ball or as a handheld unit. It may be powered from a battery, either chargeable from an AC power source directly or contactless by using induction or by converting electrical energy from harvested kinetic energy. The embedded logic may activate or control the signaling means, predictably or randomly, in response to sensed acceleration magnitude or direction, such as sensing the crossing of a preset threshold or sensing the peak value. The visual means may be a numeric display for displaying a value associated with the count of the number of times the threshold has been exceeded or the peak magnitude of the acceleration sensed.

A device includes a signaling means and a motion sensor, and logic for activating or controlling the signaling means in response to a sensed motion according to an embedded logic. The device may be used as a toy, and may be shaped like a play ball or as a handheld unit. It may be powered from a battery, either chargeable from an AC power source directly or contactless by using induction or by converting electrical energy from harvested kinetic energy. The embedded logic may activate or control the signaling means, predictably or randomly, in response to sensed acceleration magnitude or direction, such as sensing the crossing of a preset threshold or sensing the peak value. The visual means may be a numeric display for displaying a value associated with the count of the number of times the threshold has been exceeded or the peak magnitude of the acceleration sensed.

An integrated multi-purpose hockey skatemill with a movable skatemill belt that includes a stationary area of the artificial ice with a front face of the work area wherein a movable skatemill belt is built in by means of barrier-free transition areas with a system of spaced signalization/display elements hung on the tiltable/sliding brackets at the frontal and lateral sectors with respect to the center of the movable skatemill belt. A safety restraint system and a stabilization system are anchored above the movable skatemill belt. A tensile/compressive force measuring system is suspended from above in the longitudinal axis of the movable skatemill belt. The skatemill includes an electronic control system controlling the operation of the movable skatemill belt's drive system, the system of signalization/display elements, the system of optical scanning cameras and the tensile/compressive force measuring system. Two puck feeders are located on the border line defining the front side of the work area. A hockey goal structure with target zones impact detection sensors is located on the edge of the work force in front of the movable skatemill belt. Two laser markers used to define the width of a skate track may be located on the stationary area of the artificial ice in front of the movable skatemill belt.

A weight sled that allows both linear and non-linear movements such that resistance training can be performed in the frontal, sagittal, and combined frontal/sagittal planes, and which allows easy movement for transportation, storage, and retrieval from storage. The weight sled uses one or more swiveling, pivoting, or omni-directional wheels that allow all or a portion of the sled to be moved laterally. The addition of wheel configurations allowing of lateral movement of all of, or a portion of, the weight sled greatly expands the utility of weight sleds because movement in any direction can be trained, whether in the sagittal body plane (forward/backward movements), the frontal body plane (lateral movements), or a combination of the two. Additionally, the plurality of wheel configurations allows for a variety of storage arrangements.