The present disclosure involves systems for applying finishing treatment to balls. The system includes an arm that transports at least one ball through a plurality of stations. A first station includes a first actuator, which permits introduction of a ball into the arm. A second station includes a buffer, which buffs the surface of the ball and rotates the ball in place relative to the arm, a spray nozzle configured to apply treatment to the ball, and a camera configured to capture images of the ball. A third station includes an inspection camera that captures inspection images of the ball and a rotating plate configured to rotate the ball in place relative to the arm. A fourth station includes a second actuator, which ejects the ball from the arm.

A technique that enables, even if a video image corresponding to one period is not obtained, estimating a rotational state of an object is provided. The rotational state estimation device includes: an object image generation unit 1 that generates object images, each of the object images being an image of an object, from an input video image; and a rotational state estimation unit 3 that estimates a rotational state of the object by selecting, from among a plurality of hypotheses of the rotational state, a hypothesis of the rotational state, a likelihood of an image of the object resulting from the object in the object image at a certain time being rotated for t.sub.c unit time based on the hypothesis of the rotational state being high, using the object image at a time t and the object image at a time t+t.sub.c where t.sub.c is a predetermined integer of no less than 1.

Baseball bats described herein may have handle, throat and/or barrel portions that include non-circular cross-sections.

A sports ball is configured to enhance detection of spin properties by radar. The ball includes a spherical body having a first reflectivity with respect to radiation generated by a radar to be used in detecting spin of the ball. In addition, the ball includes a plurality of markers. Each of the markers has a second reflectivity with respect to the radiation generated by a radar to be used in detecting spin of the ball. The second reflectivity is different from the first reflectivity. The markers are distributed on the ball so that every great circle extending around an exterior surface of the ball is within a distance d of a projection on the exterior surface of the ball of at least one of the markers. The distance d is less than a radius of the ball.

A system and method for improving a golf swing. The system includes a club lie angle calculator, a golf club grabber, and a propeller channel for creating and supporting a swing plane for a user equal to the lie angle of a given golf club.

There is a hand held device for controlling a scoreboard comprising a housing having a plurality of faces comprising front face, a right side face, a back face, a left side face, a bottom face, and a top face. There is a display screen coupled to the housing wherein there are a plurality of buttons coupled to the housing. There is also at least one face of said plurality of faces is curved.

A baseball or softball bat includes a barrel extending from a handle having a knob. A cap defining a chamber partially filled with gel is attached to an end of the barrel or the knob for dissipating vibrations created when the bat strikes an object.

The Spherical Cage Pitch Training Device with Spinning Ball is a pitch training device or apparatus in the form of a spinning ball that can simulate any ball requiring gripping by the hand. In use, it is attached to a three-dimensional resistance means. The purpose of the pitch training device is to provide strengthening, rehabilitation, and/or correct body motion mechanics training to improve pitching quality, speed, strength, and body mechanics. This enables training, exercising, and rehabilitation of proper body motion mechanics for improving the act of pitching and increasing the performance (speed and/or accuracy) of the act by enabling weighted ball training wherein the weight of the ball is connected to and maintained in the center of the ball and the center of mass of the weight is maintained in the center (physical, geometric, and/or dimensional) of the ball.

A machine implemented method for simulated sports training includes the steps displaying a simulated environment having one or more virtual objects of a sporting event; displaying to a user a moving object in the simulated environment in accordance with object path data representing an object path and conditions of motion of the moving object as a function of time; correlating soundscape data to the object path data, the soundscape data being dependent on both object path of the moving object in the object path and the conditions of motion; and outputting sound to the user based on the correlated soundscape data either before or during displaying to the user the moving object, thereby providing spatial auditory clues for assisting tracking eye movements of the user to train the user to anticipate or recognize a trajectory of the moving object.

A ball bat includes a barrel portion, a handle portion, and a joint connecting the handle portion to the barrel portion. In some embodiments, the joint includes a releasable connector configured to releasably connect the barrel portion to the handle portion. In some embodiments, the joint includes two releasable connectors to releasably connect the barrel portion to the handle portion. The ball bat may include a flexible rod element positioned between the two releasable connectors. The rod element may include an elastomeric material. In some embodiments, the ball bat may further include a safety connector between the barrel portion and the handle portion or a releasable connector may include a threaded connection to resist release of the releasable connector. In some embodiments, the joint may include a rotatable element for adjusting flex.